Another crew chief change is in the works in NASCAR, and this time, it’s time for Ross Chastain and his crew. Phil Surgen is the 32-year-old’s current crew chief, but that is expected to change for the 2026 season as Hendrick Motorsports’ Brandon McSwain is expected to join Trackhouse Racing.
Surgen has worked alongside Chastain since 2021. The duo collaborated every race weekend when they were at Chip Ganassi Racing, and while the Alva-born driver decided to join Trackhouse Racing, his outgoing crew chief followed in his footsteps.
Since then, the two have enjoyed cordial relations and even battled for the Cup Series title. But that partnership appears to be coming to an end as solid sources within the NASCAR sphere have revealed that Surgen’s tenure as Chastain’s crew chief may not remain a reality for long.
According to RUNNERHM engineer Brandon McSwain will replace the outgoing crew chief in 2026. McSwain has often stepped into the shoes of a crew chief on his path to the Cup Series and guided William Byron at the fall race at Daytona in a one-off appearance.
However, that seemed enough for Trackhouse Racing to bet on McSwain, and an announcement regarding his appointment as Ross Chastain’s crew chief was on the horizon.
How did the duo of Ross Chastain and Phil Surgen fare at Martinsville Speedway?
Ross Chastain became the winner of the race under the leadership of Phil Surgen. The duo have won six races together so far, with the opportunity to win one more still looming.
Although Chastian was unable to advance to the Round of 16 and ultimately passed him over for the Cup Series title, the two still put up solid runs almost every race weekend. This was even seen at Martinsville Speedway, where he started 13th and was even a lap down at one point.
But Phil Surgen’s strategic decisions helped the 32-year-old claw his way back into the match to ultimately secure a fourth place at the checkered flag. Reflecting on her run, Chastain said (via NBC Sports):
“We got beat pretty badly. We lost a lap and made some good adjustments when we hit the wave. It was a free pit stop, let’s say, later and Phil Surgen (crew chief) made a bunch of adjustments and it brought the car back to life. We caught that caution, which took us from about 10th to the top five. I think we just saw William Byron consolidate in the race championship.”
Ross Chastain has competed in 143 races at Trackhouse Racing so far.
Edited by Geetansh Pasricha
