Chase Pistone, a former NASCAR driver who competed across multiple series and built a reputation as both a racer and a mentor to younger drivers, has died at the age of 42. His family announced the news earlier this week.
Pistone's brother Nick shared the loss on his Facebook page, calling Chase his "young brother and best friend."
"I'm broken-hearted and don't know if I'll ever get over this. I miss you, Chase, already, and I hope you are in a better place. I love you and I miss you so much already!!!!!!!"
Legends Nation, a racing community organization, said it confirmed the news with Nick and Chase's other brother, Tom. No cause of death has been publicly disclosed.
According to Fox News, Pistone competed in 10 NASCAR races over the course of his career: six in the Truck Series and four in the O'Reilly Series. His best finish was ninth at the 2014 Toyota 200 at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway in Madison, Illinois. He also raced in the ARCA Re/Max Series in 2006 and 2007.
But his footprint in motorsport extended well beyond his own time behind the wheel. Pistone owned CP Inc., where he built and repaired stock cars. He also ran Chase Pistone Inc., a Legends racing team that earned a fierce reputation on the circuit.
Legends Nation paid tribute to Pistone's dual legacy as a driver and a team owner:
"Chase was not only a wheelman in Legends and Late Models, but his Chase Pistone Inc. Legends team was a force to be reckoned with every time they showed up at a track, and they usually walked away with the winner's trophy."
Racing ran in the family. Chase's grandfather, "Tiger" Tom Pistone, is a former driver who is 96 years old.
RFK Racing's Brian Murphy posted his own remembrance on X, emphasizing the role Pistone played in developing the next generation of talent:
"He was not only a talented racer but a true mentor who poured his time, knowledge, and passion into the next generation."
That word, mentor, kept surfacing in the tributes. It tells you something about the kind of man Pistone was. Plenty of people can wheel a car. Fewer take the time to teach others how to do it, to build the infrastructure that keeps grassroots racing alive. Pistone did both.
The American motorsport community, particularly at the short track and grassroots level, is a tight one. These aren't the household names who fill primetime broadcast slots. They are the men and women who show up at local tracks, pour their own money into machines, mentor kids who dream of something bigger, and keep the sport's foundation from crumbling. When one of them is gone at 42, the loss reverberates in ways the broader sports world rarely notices.
It is worth noting that in confirming the news, Pistone's brothers requested that the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline be shared. If you or someone you know is struggling, you can reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.
Chase Pistone was 42 years old. He leaves behind a family steeped in racing, a business that kept stock cars on the track, and a generation of drivers who learned the craft because he made time for them.
