By: Tom Luttermoser
This NASCAR season has been insane no matter the Series. Broken records, dominations, first winners, first in a long timers. This NASCAR season has also been rejuvenation for others, 3 names stick out to me for drivers who have rebuilt themselves or their careers. Ty Majeski in the Truck Series, Josh Berry in the Xfinity Series and Ross Chastain in the Cup Series. All 3 drivers have had spectacular seasons in 2022 all transforming their lives around the race track. I went to the open house for the defending Camping World Truck Series Champion Ben Rhodes last season at the ThorSport shop in Sandusky, OH. Sitting in the machine shop was Ty Majeski, I recognized him but even the friend I went with did not. Very few of the attendees seemed to know who he was back in December of 2021 and he became arguably the Championship favorite. Although it didn't pan out as he came 4th in the standings, it was still a career season for Majeski with 2 wins and 15 Top-10s. It was total redemption. Before racing brought in enough income, JRM's short track star Josh Berry was a bank teller. Berry Made 5 Xfinity Series starts for the boss Dale Jr from 2014-2016 and a small handful of of starts for other teams in the mean time scoring 2 Top-10s with a best finish of 7th. Berry got his shot though in 2021 racing the #8 and #1 Camaros for Jr scoring his massively popular first win at Martinsville and a second at the late Las Vegas race he wasn't even scheduled to run. Then 2022 marked his first full time season in an Xfinity car where he once again impressed with a Final 4 appearance, 3 wins, 11 top-5s and 20 Top-10s showing that he Is here to stay. Prior to 2022 Ross Chastain has run in the NASCAR Cup Series 114 times only finishing 20th or better 7 times. Ross is a racer, he loves the sport and has proven he can push his equipment to get that checkered flag. But it took years before he could finally bust that first watermelon, and he did it in 2019 at Kansas in the Truck Series. Fast forward a few years to 2021, Ross got his first real shot with a Cup team signing on with Chip Ganassi Racing to drive the 42 car and halfway through an 8 Top-10 season and CGR announced a deal to sell to Rookie team TrackHouse Racing. We never expected to see that team explode onto the scene like they did. Ross managed to bring himself and the Sophomore team to their first ever Cup win at Circuit of the Americas in Texas, then again at the spring race at Talladega. Ross's season was a season of consistency, irritating his fellow drivers and what very well could have been a championship had the chips fallen his way at Phoenix. Let's not forget the "Hail Melon" move at Martinsville in a move that (although it didn't need to happen) locked him into the Final 4 for the first time over season rival Denny Hamlin. With 2 wins, and series leading 15 Top-5s and 21 Top-10s Ross Chastain has reignited his career at just the right time!
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