NASCAR Update: Trackhouse Racing Swaps Daniel Suarez’s Crew Chief; Ross Chastain Forms a New Alliance

On January 9, 2024, the Trackhouse Racing team stirred the pot and grabbed some headlines. With the NASCAR Cup Series revving up in just a month, Daniel Suarez is set to team up with a new crew chief, shaking things up in his corner. Meanwhile, Ross Chastain is making waves by penning a fresh deal.

Word on the street is that Suarez will be hitting the track with “Squid” calling the shots, while Ross Chastain is gearing up to take the wheel for the Rackley W.A.R. team in 2024.

Ross Chastain joins forces with Rackley W.A.R., while Daniel Suarez gets a new crew chief in a swap with Kaulig Racing

Ross Chastain is gearing up to steer the No. 25 Rackley W.A.R. Pro Late Model at the upcoming Protect Your Melon—Buckle Up SpeedFest at Crisp Motorsports Park. Last season, Chastain took a spin at the CARS Tour’s Window World 125 at North Wilkesboro Speedway, getting a feel for the Cup Series’ return to the iconic track for the All-Star Race. And this time he’s set to race 100 laps in the JEGS Tour [Pro Late Model 100] on January 20, 2024, with the qualifying round happening the day before.

Watch This Story: 7 worst wrecks involving Ross Chastain that proved detrimental to his rivals

Meanwhile, Chastain’s teammate, Daniel Suarez, is swapping crew chiefs with the No. 16 team at Kaulig Racing. Veteran of the tracks, Matt Swiderski, and Travis Mack have traded places. Swiderski, boasting 20 years in NASCAR, is now calling the shots for Suarez at Trackhouse, while Mack takes over the No. 16 Cup car at Kaulig, set to be driven by multiple racers this year.

Swiderski has a solid track record in the Cup Series, with two wins, nine top-fives, and 20 top-tens under his belt. Last year, he and AJ Allmendinger clinched a victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s road course, adding four top-fives and seven top-tens to their tally. In 2022, Swiderski managed the No. 16 car, shared by drivers AJ Allmendinger, Daniel Hemric, and Noah Gragson, leading them to three top-fives and nine top-tens. Beyond that, back in 2021, he and Allmendinger triumphed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course.

Justin Marks of Trackhouse was clearly wowed by Swiderski’s engineering prowess and winning history. “Matt is a proven winner with a dynamic engineering background, and we are confident he will pair well with Daniel,” Marks said. As for Swiderski, he’s thrilled about the new opportunity and eager to collaborate with Suarez. “I am looking forward to working with Daniel. We are both striving to achieve the same thing, winning. Every day we are going to work on perfecting the next steps that it takes to get more wins and compete for a championship,” he shared.

And while Swiderski brings new endeavors for Daniel Suarez, Travis Mack will take up two roles in Kaulig Racing.

Travis Mack steps up as crew chief and technical director of the Kaulig Racing team

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While Matt Swiderski is settling into his new role with a fresh driver and team, Travis Mack isn’t just shifting gears to become the crew chief for Kaulig Racing’s No. 16 entry in the NASCAR Cup Series for 2024. He’s also taking on the dual responsibility of being the Technical Director for Kaulig Racing’s entire NASCAR Cup Series operations.

Kaulig Racing spilled the beans about Mack joining their team in a post on Twitter. Mack was the brain behind setting up the Trackhouse Racing team from scratch in 2021. Under his guidance in 2022, Daniel Suárez clinched his inaugural NASCAR Cup Series victory and made his first Playoff appearance.

Read More: Will Ross Chastain Be Able to Get Over Rick Hendrick Warning & Be His Fearless Self Again in 2024?

But that’s not all for Kaulig Racing. They’ve also confirmed that Trent Owens is coming back to the fold as the crew chief for the No. 31 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series.