Ross Chastain is a tricky customer when he is behind the wheel and competing on the racetracks. The NASCAR Cup Series drivers know all about his antics and his unorthodox approach to racing, which has left many frustrated. And it looks like the IMSA drivers are about to get their first encounter against the Melon Man on August 3rd, as he makes his debut at Road America.

Anyone who has been following Chastain knows how unapologetic he is about his racecraft. Even if it’s at the expense of his opponents. Although he doesn’t have any exciting rivalries at the IMSA pilot challenge level. He was proactive in sending out early apologies to those he might end up being on the receiving end of his racing style.

Ross Chastain isn’t going to hold any punches during his IMSA debut

The Trackhouse Racing star is paired up with Ken Fukuda to drive the No. 16 Skip Barber Racing School Aston Martin GT4. The 4.084-mile road course track used to be a regular feature in the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series, but it hasn’t retained a date since its last race in 2022. For Chastain, it is one of his favorite racetracks, and this was one of the reasons that lured him into making his IMSA debut.

“It’s my favorite race track road course wise and in the world that I’ve ever been on. I’ve always seen that at Road America, but with Xfinity, races obviously filled up a lot. But just true die-hard race fans, they love the racetrack here, it’s beautiful this time of the year,” Chastain said via IMSA’s official YouTube channel.

Racing a stock car and GTD class race cars at IMSA. So this is new territory for even a seasoned driver like Ross Chastain. But he certainly won’t let the foot off the throttle when it comes to competing. And by the looks of it, he certainly isn’t out here to make new friends. “Yeah, I’m sure as we go through, I’ll learn more and more about what cars we’ll be looking to race against and who definitely want to minimize time loss when they go by us. I don’t have a clue who’s out there; if I do anything to anybody, I’m sorry,” the 31-year-old added.

The IMSA racing certainly will be a good change in setting for the driver of the No. 1 Cup car. Once NASCAR racing resumes on August 11, he will find himself in a precarious position, trying to make the playoffs.

Tough road ahead for the Melon Man to make the final 16

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The Florida native has been off-driving the No. 1 Chevy in the first 22 races of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season. Placed 16th in the points standings, he is right on the cut line, with Bubba Wallace closing in on him. Only seven points separate the two, and it could go either way. While he has had solid finishes at the road course races at COTA and Sonoma, he’s off his markers when it comes to ovals.

In his last five starts, Chastain has only managed a single top-10 result. Although he was in contention to win at the Nashville Superspeedway, Kyle Larson’s attempts to force the issue saw him crash out of the race with a P33 finish. His chances for victory in the upcoming four races look bleak, as he’s never won a race on either of the racetracks. While he is a talented race car driver, he is far from a short-track or superspeedway specialist. With Richmond and Daytona up ahead, he will need to bring out his A-game to keep his playoff hopes alive.

The onus is on Chastain to steady his ship as his teammate Daniel Suarez is already locked into the playoffs, thanks to his win at Atlanta early in the season.