Legendary Honky Tonk Tootsie’s Sponsors Trackhouse Cars & Drivers + Battle of Broadway 150
Thursday, June 27 at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway
BATTLE OF BROADWAY 150
PRESENTED BY TOOTSIES
THURSDAY, JUNE 27 at NASHVILLE FAIRGROUNDS SPEEDWAY
JEGS CRA All-Stars Tour
Pro Late Model 150
+ Street Stocks (5/8)
Grandstands 4:00 pm
Street Stocks 6:00 pm
Battle Of Broadway 150 7:30 pm
For tickets and more information, visit nashvillefairgroundsspeedway.racing
For the full Thursday, June 27th schedule at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, click HERE (PDF Download).
Chastain to Run CRA Late Model for Rackley W.A.R. at Nashville Fairgrounds on Thursday
Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain will drive a CRA late model for Rackley W.A.R. at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway on Thursday, June 27 with support from Tootsie’s. The race at the half-mile track kicks off a weekend of motorsports in Nashville.
Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, a longtime partner of Trackhouse Racing, will serve as primary sponsor. Famous for their purple branding and Lower Broadway bar, the one-day show at the track is just miles from downtown.
“First off, the NASCAR race weekend in Nashville is one of my favorite events of the year. The city and state are great supporters of racing, so to add a grassroots race at this historic venue one day early was a no brainer. Hopefully, we can light up the track just like the iconic Tootsie’s purple lights up Broadway,” Chastain said.
“Secondly, thanks to Trackhouse Racing for letting me compete and to Curtis, Willie and everyone at Rackley W.A.R. for letting an outsider hop in. I can’t wait for this race to begin!”
Chastain Defending Winner in Trackhouse’s Hometown
Trackhouse Racing knows its going to be hard to top its last visit to Nashville Superspeedway in June 2023 when Ross Chastain claimed his third career victory in front of the team’s hometown fans. Chastain led the field to the green from the pole position for the first time in his career. Taking the top position on lap one, the Team Chevy driver went on to collect a top-five finish in both stages and lead a race-high 99 laps en route to victory at the 1.33-mile oval. The team spent Sunday night celebrating at Toosie’s downtown. Both Chastain and Daniel Suárez, who finished 12th in Nashville last year, wouldn’t mind a repeat performance and a trip to Tootsie’s after the race. While the team’s race shop is in Concord, North Carolina, Trackhouse’s executive headquarters are in Nashville.
- Busch Light Country: Get your cowboy boots ready for a boot kickin’ weekend! As Nashville is not only home to Trackhouse, but also to some of the country’s biggest country music superstars (and fans!), Ross Chastain will be representing Busch Light’s country music roster of artists in the No. 1 car at this week’s race. Whether at a bar on Broadway in Nashville or in the stands at a NASCAR race, country fans can be found with a Busch Light in hand. For this weekend’s paint scheme at Nashville Superspeedway, Trackhouse Racing, Chastain and Busch Light came together to bring NASCAR and country music fans closer to the sport they love, with the beer they love most. The Busch Country No. 1 Chevy Camaro will raise one up to artists that create the music that pairs perfectly with NASCAR and ice-cold Busch Light, by displaying the names of the brand’s country music roster: Ashley Cooke, Austin Snell, BRELAND, Jordan Davis, Matt Stell, Nate Smith, Priscilla Block and Riley Green.
- Busch Light Sweeps: Busch Light will be giving fans another chance to win this week with their #BreakForBusch #Sweepstakes. Follow @BuschBeer on X and tweet using the hashtag’s #BreakForBusch #Sweepstakes for the chance to win $2,000.
- Busch Light In-Car Camera: Fans will have the opportunity to enjoy watching Chastain take on the hot, slick Nashville track on Sunday via the Busch Light in-car camera.
- Media Availability: Chastain will be available to the media at the Nashville Superspeedway media center desk on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. CT.
- Meet Chastain: On Sunday at 10:45 a.m. CT, Chastain will sign autographs at the Tennessee Highway Safety Office booth in the fan midway. Wristband required – distribution begins on Saturday the booth.
- Defending Nashville Race Winner: Chastain qualified first to earn his first Cup Series career pole position and led 99 laps in route to his third career Cup Series win. The victory locked him into the playoffs for the second consecutive season. It also continued Chevrolet’s Cup Series win streak at the track with three consecutive Chevrolet Cup wins. Chastain and Trackhouse Racing celebrated the win by going to Tootsie’s on Lower Broadway in downtown Nashville after the race.
- Double Duty at Nashville: Chastain returns to the Xfinity Series this weekend for his second start of the season in the No. 92 Tennessee Highway Safety Office Use Your Melon Chevrolet for DGM Racing. Two weeks ago at Iowa Speedway, Chastain drove the No. 92 Xfinity Series car to a ninth-place finish.
- Season Stats: Chastain has earned seven top-10s in 18 races so far this season along with 118 laps led. He’s currently ninth in driver points.
- NASCAR: Full Speed: Catch Chastain in the five-episode docuseries NASCAR: Full Speed on Netflix. The series documented portions of Chastain’s 2023 season on and off the track. All five episodes are currently available on Netflix.
- Last Weekend at New Hampshire: In a rain plagued weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Cup Series drivers were only able to complete a five minute practice session last Saturday. Chastain started Sunday’s race eighth after qualifying was canceled and the lineup was set per the rule book. Sunday’s race was red flagged for two hours and 14 minutes due to rain. Before the red flag, Chastain had reached as high as the third position. After the red flag was lifted, NASCAR mandated the teams use wet weather tires for the remainder of the event. The Chevrolet driver was seventh at one point on rain tires before he was spun and forced to restart at the back of the pack. He slowly worked his way forward to a 10th-place finish at the mile-track.
- 2023 Season Recap: Chastain won at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway in June and at the Phoenix Raceway season finale in November. He posted 10 top-five and 14 top-10 finishes in his third full time Cup season. The Alva, Florida native finished ninth in points.
Chastain Quotes:
When you look back at last year’s Nashville race, how good do you feel about that performance and everything that went into it?
“Last year at Nashville was a career highlight for me for sure. It was one of those weekends that you dream about. We went out and performed really well. Now, there was times I was questioning if I was coming out the other side of a corner, and there was times that I deliberately lifted to get out of a situation that I didn’t think it was worth it. I’m really proud of that and I’ve been trying to put something together like that in a lot of weeks since (laughs).”
Are you surprised after that Nashville win last year and the season finale win at Phoenix, that you’re without a win so far this season because you had so much momentum?
“I’m not surprised, but I am disappointed. Just trying to put together weekends like we did at those two. Now, we’ve had shots at other ones, for instance this year at Las Vegas comes to mind. If I don’t speed on pit road, we have a shot to race for the win. We were as fast as the 5 (Kyle Larson) and 45 (Tyler Reddick), we were right there with them. I feel like small mistakes when we’ve had the speed, and other times some not-so-glaring issues like balance being just a little bit off.”
How excited are you to run a late model for Rackley W.A.R. at the Nashville Fairgrounds and what are your expectations?
“I’m super excited. The Fairgrounds track is one I’ve wanted to race at since I was 12 years old and was googling other races and late model races, pro truck races around the country. I was trying to see what other people were doing, look at their bodies and see what different classes did for setups. I was just looking at pictures and the Fairgrounds would come up and once I got more into the sport, and obviously my Nashville ties with Trackhouse. We talk a lot about Nashville and spend a lot of time there and the Fairgrounds race is one that has been on my bucket list. I was able to put together a program with Rackley W.A.R. and Tootsie’s, and Trackhouse let me go do that so it’s going to be cool moment when I finally pull on track there. 12 year old Ross is going to be really excited.”
Suárez Notes
- Tire Test in New York: Daniel Suárez and the No. 99 team will participate in the tire test at Watkins Glen International on Wednesday and Thursday before flying to Nashville on Friday.
- Suárez is Now a Dual Citizen of Mexico and the United States: Suárez took the Oath of Allegiance at a naturalization ceremony on June 18 in front of media, friends, the NASCAR industry and NASCAR President Steve Phelps who gave the keynote address to the 48 new citizens from 28 countries who joined Suárez at the ceremony. The 32-year-old, Monterrey, Mexico native came to America about 13 years ago without speaking English. He passed the United States Citizenship test on April 29 in Charlotte before taking the final step on June 18. He is now a dual citizen of Mexico and the United States.
- Last week in New Hampshire: Suárez rallied from three laps down to finish 21st. His car was dramatically faster on the wet tires than the dry tires.
- Atlanta Victory: At Atlanta, he and runner-up Ryan Blaney were separated by 0.003 seconds at the finish line. It was the fourth-closest finish in series history, and with third-place Kyle Busch just 0.007 seconds behind the winner, it also stands as the closest finish among three cars in the history of auto racing.
- Trackhouse Victories: Atlanta marked Trackhouse Racing’s seventh win in the NASCAR Cup Series, and first at Atlanta. Chastain owns four victories, Suárez two and one for Shane van Gisbergen.
- Mexico Series Victory: Suárez won the 150-lap Mexico Series race at the Los Angeles Coliseum on Feb. 3. It was his 11th victory.
- First Mexican to Win in Cup: Suárez became the first driver from Mexico (Monterrey) to win in the NASCAR Cup Series on June 12, 2022, at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway.
- International Driver: He is one of six drivers not from the United States to win a NASCAR Cup Series race: Shane van Gisbergen (New Zealand), Marcos Ambrose (Australia), Juan Pablo Montoya (Colombia), Earl Ross (Canada) and Mario Andretti (Italy). Ambrose, Montoya, and Suárez own two victories each.
- Cup Career Highlights: Suárez owns two victories (Sonoma 2022 and Atlanta 2024) and three Busch Light Pole Awards – Pocono (Pa.) Raceway July 2018, Kentucky Speedway July 2019, and on the road course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway August 2023.
Suárez Quotes:
What are your thoughts on Nashville this weekend?
“We want to celebrate Sunday night at Tootsie’s like Ross did last year. Nashville is a special place for us. It’s Tootsie’s hometown, (owner) Justin (Marks) hometown and a really fun town. There would be no better place to win.”
Season so far:
“We have been up and down of late. We were good in Iowa but struggled last week in New Hampshire before we put on the wet tires. Once we put on the wets we were a lot better. We have run well at Nashville in the past so I am pretty confident we will have a good car Sunday.”
About Tootsie’s:
Tootsie’s has operated across the alley from Opry Entertainment’s Ryman Auditorium, the celebrated Nashville performance venue and most famous former home of the Grand Ole Opry, almost continuously since 1960. Its proprietor from 1960 to 1978, Hattie Louise “Tootsie” Bess, bought the lounge called “Mom’s” and named it for herself. With its proximity to the Ryman, Tootsie’s quickly became a favorite spot for the Opry’s rising stars to gather during the years when the Opry called the Ryman home.
For the Nashville Superspeedway full schedule, including the RACKLEY ROOFING 200
Friday, June 28, 2024, NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series; TENNESSEE LOTTERY 250 Saturday, June 29, 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series; and the ALLY 400 Sunday, June 30, 2024 NASCAR Cup Series, click HERE.
Trackhouse At-Track Rosters
Founder: Justin Marks, Rocklin, California
Chief Business Officer: Ty Norris, Sumter, South Carolina
Chief Operating Officer: Tony Lunders, Chehalis, Washington
Director of Performance: Darian Grubb, Floyd, Virginia
Engine Builder: ECR Engines, Welcome, North Carolina
No. 1 Trackhouse Team
Crew Chief: Phil Surgen, Lake Elmore, Vermont
Car Chief: David Fero, Galt, California
Spotter: Brandon McReynolds, Mooresville, North Carolina
Engine Tuner: Harry Holcomb, Mount Pulaski, Illinois
Fueler: Brook Davenport, Centreville, Maryland
Front Tire Changer: Mike Roberts, Hendersonville, North Carolina
Rear Tire Changer: Ken Pozega, Warren, Ohio
Jackman: Shane Wilson, Edgewater, Maryland
Tire Carrier: Matt Simmons, Charlotte, North Carolina
Engineer: Mike Skarbowski, Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania
Engineer: Mike Hann, East Granby, Connecticut
Mechanic: Josh Heidkamp, Vandalia, Ohio
Mechanic: Mike Madill, Glendale, Arizona
Tires: Patrick Lyden, Erie, Pennsylvania
Truck Driver: Roy Miller, Elkridge, Maryland
No. 99 Trackhouse Team
Crew Chief: Matt Swiderski, Garden Homes, Illinois
Car Chief: Eddie D’Hondt Jr., East Islip, New York
Spotter: Frank Kimmel II, Jeffersonville, Indiana
Engine Tuner: Dustyn Presgraves, Floyd Virginia
Fueler: Milan Rudanovic, Wantage, New Jersey
Front Tire Changer: Josh Bush, Lexington, North Carolina
Rear Tire Changer: Seth Gajdours, Manhattan, Illinois
Jackman: Josh Appleby, Athens, Alabama
Tire Carrier: Charles Plank, Solon, Ohio
Engineer: Dustin Zacharyasz, Berea, Ohio
Engineer: Troy Davis, Windham, Maine
Mechanic: Matt Petrea, Kannapolis, North Carolina
Mechanic: Tony Barkman, Rio Vista, California
Interior Mechanic: Lucas Tucker, Orrum, North Carolina.
Truck Driver: Glenn Shano, Toronto, Canada
Truck Driver: Ron Miske, Bridgeport, Connecticut
Trackhouse Racing History
- After retiring from a full time driving career in NASCAR and sports cars, Justin Marks formed Trackhouse Entertainment Group in 2020 to create a racing brand that transcends sport.
- Marks formed Trackhouse Racing which took to the track in 2021 with Daniel Suárez behind the wheel. The team competed as a single car team with its cars housed at Richard Childress Racing in Welcome, North Carolina.
- The team announced a partnership with international superstar entertainer Pitbull who has been a frequent guest at NASCAR races and elevated Trackhouse’s presence through inclusion in several of his songs, music videos and named his current album “Trackhouse.”
- In June 2021 Trackhouse Racing purchased the NASCAR assets of Chip Ganassi Racing and began the 2022 season as its own two-car team with Suárez and Ross Chastain as drivers.
- In its first season as a multicar team in 2022 working out of its Concord, North Carolina race shop, Suárez and Chastain won three races. Chastain gave the organization its first victory at Circuit of the Americas in Austin Texas in March and won again at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in April. Suárez became the first Mexican (Monterrey) driver to win a Cup race when he won at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway in June. Chastain finished second in the points.
- In May 2022, Marks announced, through its PROJECT91 program, Trackhouse Racing would provide racing opportunities for global superstars from other racing disciplines eager to compete in America’s most popular form of motorsports. Finland’s 2007 Formula One champion Kimi Raikkonen and New Zealand’s three-time Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen each raced twice for PROJECT91.
- In 2023, Chastain won the Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway race in June and season-ending race in Phoenix Raceway while Van Gisbergen won the inaugural Chicago Street race in July driving for Trackhouse’s PROJECT91 program.
- In 2024, Suárez earned his second and Trackhouse’s seventh Cup Series victory in February when he won in a dramatic three-wide finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
- Trackhouse added to its stable of drivers in 2023 signing 17-year-old driving sensation Connor Zilisch, 2022 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Zane Smith and Van Gisbergen to its developmental driver program.
- Trackhouse Racing joined the MotoGP grid in 2024, bringing an American team back to the pinnacle of motorcycle racing for the first time in over a decade. With riders Miguel Oliviera and Raul Fernandez, Trackhouse Racing MotoGP is determined to be a competitive force on and off the track in partnership with Aprilia as its official factory-supported team.
