Ross Chastain earns much-needed fifth place start at Sonoma in 2026

Ross Chastain has earned a much-needed starting spot for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway. Chastain and the No. 1 team for Trackhouse Racing will start in fifth place on the third row at Sonoma on Sunday. In fact, the driver of the No. 1 car was the top Trackhouse Racing driver in qualifying.

Shane van Gisbergen qualified in sixth place while Connor Zilisch will roll off in 17th place. For Chastain, this is a much-needed starting spot due to his points situation. Entering Sonoma, Chastain sits 22nd in the standings with a 40-point deficit to the Chase bubble.

More likely than not, Chatain will be able to maximize his points in Stage 1 by not pitting before two laps to go. While a great finish or win would do wonders for Chastain, taking the points will help him in his pursuit of a Chase spot. Saturday’s haven’t been kind to Trakchouse Racing, but Chastain will take a top 5 start at Sonoma.