Ross Chastain becomes all-time Cup Series wins leader in No. 1 car with Kansas victory

With his fifth career win at Kansas Speedway, Ross Chastain made NASCAR history on Sunday. He has the most wins in the No. 1 car ever. There have been a lot of great drivers in the No. 1 car in Cup Series history, but Chastain is now the guy in that car.

Depending on who you are, how old you are, and when you started to watch NASCAR, the No. 1 car could mean a few things to you. It might remind you of Jamie McMurray, Kurt Busch, and perhaps even Donnie Allison. And we can’t forget Martin Truex Jr.

Going into the weekend, Ross Chastain had four wins in the No. 1 car and his career. He walked away with win #5 and broke a tie with Jamie McMurray, Billy Wade, and Donnie Allison.

Those are three fantastic names in NASCAR history and now, Chastain has risen above them all now in terms of wins with that number on the car.

NASCAR Cup Series victories in the No. 1 car.@RossChastain 5
Billy Wade 4@jamiemcmurray 4
Donnie Allison 4@KurtBusch 3
Steve Park 2@MartinTruex_Jr 1
David Pearson 1
Paul Lewis 1
Eddie Gray 1
Lloyd Dane 1 pic.twitter.com/CMt6V6txJv

— NASCAR Classics (@NASCARClassics) September 30, 2024

Billy Wade is perhaps the most interesting driver on this list. From Texas, Wade first raced in NASCAR in 1962 at Daytona. Over the next two years, he would drive for a number of teams.

With Bud Moore Engineering in the No. 1 car, Wade won four races in a row. He won at the half-mile Olde Bridge Stadium, Bridgehampton Race Circuit (road course), Islip Speedway (smallest track to ever host a NASCAR Grand National race, 0.2-miles long), and Watkins Glen.

Wade would die in a wreck at Daytona in January 1965 during a tire test. He finished 4th overall in the 1964 season with those four wins.

So, maybe five wins in a row is the next great milestone for the No. 1 car and Ross Chastain?

Ross Chastain makes history once again

Now, here is my dilemma with Ross Chastain. He is a star, fans love him, and they have taken to him over the last three years now. He races hard, doesn’t allow easy passes, and is seen as an old-school rough and tough racer.

But we need more from him. Chastain can be a true star of the sport if he was willing to lean into his persona and forget the humble farmer stuff. I know that is part of who he is, but he is also the guy who had an almost 10-minute victory celebration after Kansas.

Trackhouse Racing keeps talking about being “disruptors.” Well, we need you to disrupt. Chastain has talent, he should be proud of that fact and remind others both on and off the track just how good he is.

I get it, the “aw shucks” stuff is appealing. He is racing against drivers he considers his heroes. Well, guess what, you’re racing them now and you’re beating them. You are no longer a starstruck fan or part-timer in Xfinity and Trucks. You are a Championship 4 driver, embrace that!

Then again, Ross Chastain has made it this far being who he is. I just wish we had more reasons to talk about him throughout the season and not just when he is coming off of a win.