Trackhouse Racing has massively underperformed in 2026, with its only bright spot being Shane van Gisbergen, who has added to the win column twice thanks to his road-course speciality. They’re struggling with rookie Connor Zilisch and also Ross Chastain, who looks like a shadow of the driver who finished second in the Cup Series standings just three-and-a-half years ago. With Trackhouse rebuilding, it’s only natural for a driver like Chastain, who wants to be much higher than 20th in the championship, to jump ship. But Dale Earnhardt Jr. feels that his ties to the organization may make an exit tricky.
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On X, Dale Jr. broke down the situation at Trackhouse Racing while replying to a post claiming that Ross Chastain would leave the team, citing loyalty as a key reason why that was unlikely.
“SVG is making it on points on a struggling team. He’ll get better, and so will TH at some point. CZ may bolt. Ross would need a much better opportunity for him to bail on a team that gave him his shot. Loyalty would play a role in his mind,” the Hall of Famer stated on the social media platform.
It sums up the three different situations facing Justin Marks’ drivers. But Chastain’s remains the most complicated. And the reason behind this goes back to 2021.
When Chip Ganassi Racing shut down its NASCAR operations and sold its assets to Trackhouse, Chastain’s future was left uncertain. But Justin Marks stepped in and made him the face of his new project. Chastain has been the face of Trackhouse Racing since his arrival. He made it to the championship race in 2022, which was followed by another multi-win year.
Even in 2025, things were going fairly well, with Chastain winning the Coca-Cola 600, one of NASCAR’s crown-jewel races, on his way to a 10th-place finish in the standings.
Last year, things weren’t going smoothly for the No. 1 team, but the win at the Coca-Cola 600 lifted their spirits. Yet, heading into 2026, where consistency was going to define a driver’s season, the organization has struggled.
Zilisch is just a rookie, but he is very highly rated. For someone tipped as a future champion, spending a long period with a team that is still finding its feet again could prove to be a missed opportunity. That could attract interest from bigger teams in the garage looking to lure Zilisch away. Recently, there were reports that Hendrick Motorsports was looking to sign Zilisch for 2027. With Alex Bowman extending his stay at HMS till the end of 2027, a move to #48 looks like a distant dream.
Zilisch may look at Corey Heim, who entered the Cup Series alongside him and is already a two-time race winner, most recently claiming victory in the Brickyard 400 last weekend.
Meanwhile, van Gisbergen is great on road courses and streets. But he continues to take time to improve on ovals, something Trackhouse has been patient about. And it’s likely that the partnership will continue as they both get better in the coming years.
For now, there is no sign that any of Trackhouse’s three drivers are heading for the exit. But as the team looks to recover from a disappointing 2026 campaign, the pressure to improve will only grow.