Former NASCAR Racer Chase Pistone Dies At 42, Family Adds Suicide Hotline Number To Post

Former NASCAR driver Chase Pistone has died at 42.

The family has not revealed how Pistone passed away. However, they told Legends Nation, a news site for car racing, to post the suicide and crisis hotline number on their post.

Pistone’s brother, Nick, posted on Facebook to mourn his brother.

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“Well, my young brother and best friend is gone,” Pistone’s brother said, “I’m brokenhearted 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.”

Pistone’s first race with NASCAR was in 2005. His first race was in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Martinsville Speedway, where he finished No. 35. In 2007, he attempted to make the ARCA Re/Max Series, but failed to qualify. 

Pistone took a seven-year break from professional racing. In 2014, he returned to professional racing with the NTS Motorsports team. He finished in the top 10 in his first race back at Gateway Motorsports Park. He finished No. 12 at the Iowa Speedway, 

Despite strong finishes in 2014, he was left without a ride for the 2015 season. This effectively ended his professional racing career. 

Pistone never had a major crash in his career. However, NASCAR cars go so fast that they cause head rattling. This head rattling, over the course of a career, can lead to serious head injuries.  

There’s also an epidemic of post-racing depression in motorsports like NASCAR. In many sports, athletes will feel like they’ve lost their identity when they retire. This feeling is compounded in motorsports because of how much is invested in a career. Motorsports is one of the most expensive sports to play. Even most professional drivers never get a full return on investment.