ARLINGTON, Va. – Few motorsports events carry the prestige of the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway during Memorial Day weekend. One of the honors the defending winner of the crown-jewel event participates in is the wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Eleven months removed from his last-to-first victory in the 400-lapper, Chastain felt the gravity instantly when he entered Arlington National Cemetery for the first time on Wednesday.
“When we turned in, we met out front here, got the SUVs and rode into the gate, and it just felt like a different world,” Chastain said, “to think about what this property was when this started, and what it has amassed into, and how many graves there are here, and what that signifies across the history of this country — absolutely surreal. I can’t grasp what it is behind those gates and how special they made that whole ceremony for us.”
Upon entry to Arlington National Cemetery, visitors are hit with the sobering reminder of those who made the ultimate sacrifice across generations. Over 400,000 fallen Americans lie at rest in the cemetery with an average of 30 funerals taking place daily across the property’s 639 acres.
With stops that included a visit to the memorial of the astronauts lost in both the Columbia and Challenger space shuttle missions and the headstone of First Lieutenant Audie L. Murphy — a veteran recognized as the most decorated combat soldier in World War II — Chastain, Trackhouse Racing owner Justin Marks and family members from the pair took in the solemn sights that matched a gloomy and cold morning.
When it was time for Chastain and Marks, accompanied by Charlotte Motor Speedway President Greg Walter and 2025 Coke 600 race-winning crew chief Phil Surgen, to get the rundown of the wreath-laying ceremony and witness the Changing of the Guard at the tomb, Chastain felt the weight of the moment.
“(I was) more nervous for that than a Cup race on Sunday, for sure,” Chastain said. “I (had) clammy hands, sweating. I mean, it’s a cool day, perfect day to be in a suit and my socks got a little wet there. Just nerves to walk the steps and to stay in sync with the guard, listening to them and then prepping us, you realize how thought out all this is, how long they’ve been doing this no matter the weather. We were here on a day where we were very questionable about what kind of weather we were going to get. We knew we were going to be there rain or shine.”
With family, students and general visitors on hand to witness the Changing of the Guard and the wreath-laying, a heavy silence fell in the minutes after the 11 a.m. ET clock bells rang to signal the change, and every precise step and shoe click carried the preciousness of life and honoring the memory of those lost. The silence was layered with the playing of “Taps” with every perfect note symbolizing gratitude and respect.
Marks, who also made his first trip to Arlington National Cemetery, said he was reminded of how his day-to-day operations are put into perspective during a visit like this.
“To walk down those steps and to hear ‘Taps,’ it’s emotional. It’s really, really emotional,” Marks said. “It’s heavy, but it’s an honor and it’s just really humbling. I had this moment there thinking it’s amazing that we’re here because of race cars, because of something so inconsequential and meaningless as a race car. We’re meaningful in that we’re entertaining people, we’re inspiring people and we’re supporting our families by finding lines of work that we’re good at and passionate about. It was just a great, humbling moment.”
Donning the Coke 600 ring and capping the year-long celebration of his biggest NASCAR victory is one area of pride for Chastain, but one that will stick with him longest from the visit is having his family on sight to witness him partake in the ceremony.
From the humble farming grounds of Alva, Florida, to just outside the United States’ capital, Chastain couldn’t be more grateful to be joined by the people who got him to where he is now.
“My grandparents are here. Meemaw, my granddaddy on my dad’s side — a very incredible experience for them to get on a plane, leave Alva and come up here,” Chastain said. “It’s tough for them and I’m thankful that they made the trek, and my family for helping them get here. They’ve never booked an Uber, never ridden in an Uber before, and they’re jumping in cars and buses to get here and a plane to fly up. Really thankful for the group that came up. It means more when they’re here.”
The reminder of May’s Coke 600 also serves as an upcoming event the Trackhouse organization has circled on their calendar.
It’s no secret Trackhouse has been behind the 8-ball early in the 2026 season, with Chastain highest among the team’s three full-time drivers in points at just 18th, and just two top fives combined in 10 races among Chastain, Shane van Gisbergen and rookie Connor Zilisch.
With Arlington as a lasting reminder of sacrifice and what Trackhouse is able to do because of those who served, Marks said Charlotte could be a big turnaround.
“I think going back as defending winners, after having days like this in Arlington, it’s going to put some wind in our sails,” Marks said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do right now in our company to build faster race cars. Because of all the lean-in content, the tune-in stuff, it’s imagery of your team winning, of you winning the race and so you’re sort of inundated with this imagery of what a year prior meant for your company. This Coke 600 truly is one of the greatest wins, if not the greatest win that we’ve had in the history of the company.
“We know going into the 600, we’ve got a driver that can win, we’ve got a team that can win and hopefully we’re back here a year from today.”
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