Ross Chastain will take on a new challenge during the Olympic break as he makes his debut in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge.
The Cup Series veteran will join forces with Skip Barber Racing School at Road America on Saturday, Aug. 3. He will share the No. 16 Aston Martin GT4 entry with IMSA Diverse Driver Development Scholarship winner Ken Fukuda.
"I am really looking forward to racing with Skip Barber at Road America," Chastain said in a press release. "I have been a customer of Skip Barber Racing School, and to now race with their IMSA team makes total sense.
"Dan and Anthony DeMonte run the premier racing school in the country so hopefully I can have a good showing for them during one of our NASCAR off-weekends. I always appreciate the additional track time."
Chastain's IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge debut weekend will begin on Friday, Aug. 2. He will take part in multiple practice sessions at the Wisconsin road course. Qualifying will then take place the following morning.
The Road America 120 race will start at 2:40 p.m. ET on Aug. 3 and will run until 4:45 p.m. ET. IMSA TV and Peacock will both provide coverage for the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race.
Competing in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge is only the latest example of Chastain's partnership with Skip Barber Racing School. The Florida native is one of nearly two dozen current NASCAR drivers who have worked with the instructors in pursuit of improved road course results.
The efforts have paid off considering that Chastain's first-ever Cup Series win was on a road course. He won at Circuit of the Americas in 2022. He also has two top-10 finishes and one top-five in two Cup starts at Road America.
Skip Barber Racing School has also sponsored Chastain in multiple Xfinity Series and Craftsman Truck Series races as he has driven for DGM Racing and Niece Motorsports.
"When we saw a gap in the NASCAR Cup Series schedule that lined up with our race team's outing at Road America, we knew what we needed to do," Skip Barber Racing School Chief Marketing Officer Dan DeMonte said in a statement.
"This is an opportunity that we simply couldn't afford to pass up and we are beyond thrilled to welcome Ross into the team at Road America."