NASCAR Cup Series driver Ross Chastain said that racing in the Battle of Broadway 150 at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, despite never having raced there, will feel like coming home. Chastain has ties to Nashville, having won the Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway in the past.
Three days prior to the Ally 400 this season at the superspeedway, on June 27, there will be the first-ever Battle of Broadway, a pro late models race. Several other NASCAR Cup drivers who will be in town that week are anticipated to join Chastain. Josh Berry, a rookie in the NASCAR Cup Series and a native of Hendersonville, has also committed to race in the Battle of Broadway 150.
Chastain’s other local connections include being part of the Trackhouse Racing Team, which has offices in Nashville. He will drive the No. 1 Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge Chevrolet, prepared by Rackley W.A.R., which is based in Centerville. Trackhouse Racing owner Justin Marks lives in Nashville. “It’s never easy (to add races outside the Cup schedule), but to be able to race in Nashville where Trackhouse’s brain trust is and it being a home race makes it worth it,” Chastain said. “Any excuse I can have to come to Nashville, get a little bit of work done early, and enjoy it is good. We might even enjoy a cold Busch Light on Lower Broadway. We’ll see.” The Battle of Broadway 150 is a non-points race for the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour and Bob Sargent, owner of the tour, is also the leaseholder of the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.
“Bob Sargent is another reason I’m coming,” Chastain said. “He runs the series and we talked and I got to know him and he told me they were going to have this on the weekend of the Cup race and it sounded like something I wanted to be a part of.”
Sargent told The Tennessean he recently raised $10,000 for the winner of the Battle of Broadway 150. He said he expects several local drivers to compete along with Chastain and Berry.
“We keep adding to the excitement of this event,” Sargent said. “We’re going to work real closely with the Nashville Superspeedway. We just think it’s a great event for our local drivers to earn extra money and be able to race against these out-of-town drivers. Having the likes of Ross Chastain, obviously one of the top NASCAR drivers right now and the reining Ally 400 champ, really does make the event more special.”
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