Ross Chastain’s NASCAR Boss Justin Marks Reveals Audacious Plan to Build the Same Identity as Legendary F1 Team – Ferrari

The Ross Chastain move in Martinsville was the perfect embodiment of what Trackhouse Racing has come to represent and symbolize in its short time in NASCAR. Having been formed just 2 years ago, Justin Marks and his team have been unconventional and unafraid to be different, creating a niche for themselves in between the big boys of NASCAR.

A wall-hugging move that left the car in tatters, but earned Ross Chastain a place in the Championship 4 is just one among the many outliers moves that Trackhouse Racing, as a team, have made this season.  Difference began with the first step itself – Justin Marks was joined by celebrity rapper, Pitbull, in the birth of Trackhouse. 

It was followed by Ross Chastain’s first win for the team at the Circuit of The Americas in 2022, when Trackhouse gifted all members of the team diamond-encrusted rings.

They also started Project91 in collaboration with Kimi Raikkonen with the intention of getting international drivers to participate in NASCAR. While the one-off experiment didn’t have a fairytale ending, finishing 37th after hitting the tire barriers – Trackhouse weren’t looking for fairytales. Because that is their DNA.

And there is a method to the madness that Marks and Pitbull bring to the team. Marks said, “I was inspired and am inspired by what Ferrari has built with the Tifosi — there’s an identity in their following and fan base. That’s kind of where I’d love Trackhouse to go.” 

To do that Marks uses his own ways to motivate his employees at Trackhouse. “We’re going to put ourselves in the history books of this sport, and it’s not just about what we’re doing, it’s about who we are and how we treat each other and how we put the brand first and put Trackhouse first and what that stands for, and that’s ambition, passion, pride in what we do, and it’s feeling like what we’re doing is important and we’re changing the world.” 

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They are still a young team, they have a lot to do and a lot to learn. But what they have shown till now hints at something big in the future. They’re off to a good start, and Chastain’s performances in the #1 has been really good. Will they be able to sustain it? No one knows.

What’s the story behind Justin Marks and NASCAR?

Justin Marks is no stranger to big business decisions, or to running an elite sports team. The 41-year-old has seen it all before he made the decision to spend millions and buy Chip Ganassi Racing and all its assets.

Marks is the son of Michael Marks, a former investor in the Golden State Warriors. Justin has on his own started numerous ventures earlier, such as the GoPro Motorplex facility he started in 2012. The facility in Charlotte secured naming rights from GoPro as a result of Justin’s father being a board member at the company.

Marks Jr had tried out ownership in NASCAR’s lower leagues and World of Outlaws before he shifted to trying out NASCAR racing. His career in racing was rather short-lived with one of the memorable moments being his victory in the Xfinity Series at Mid-Ohio Course in 2016.

Ty Norris, President of Trackhouse, spoke glowingly about Marks’ leadership. He said, “Most visionaries I’ve been around are racing visionaries: ‘This is what we do with this team or car, or how we improve our position in the NASCAR garage. He doesn’t just think about the NASCAR garage and he doesn’t come at it from an engineering or competition perspective — it’s more about marketing, innovation, relevancy — that’s where his creative mind continues to take us down where we haven’t been before.”

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Justin Marks is definitely a black sheep among the kind of owners NASCAR has seen in all these years. Trackhouse’s approach is going to be a big attraction as they go ahead, especially in terms of bringing onboard new talent. But it is a little early for a judgment to be passed on what the team will be able to achieve.