Ross Chastain

Ross Chastain was born on December 4, 1992, and hails from Alva, Florida, where his family has been growing watermelons for eight generations—a heritage that later earned him the nickname “The Watermelon Man.” He is the older brother of NASCAR driver Chad Chastain. At age twelve, Ross began racing, inspired by his father’s hobby and other kids at the track. His home track was Punta Gorda Speedway, where he competed in Late-Model and Fastruck series races, mostly on a shoestring budget—a theme that would follow him throughout his career. At tracks like Citrus County, Auburndale, and DeSoto Speedway, he logged more than fifty feature race wins, including the 2011 Limited-Late-Model championship at the World Series Of Asphalt at New Smyrna Speedway.

In mid-2011, Chastain relocated to Charlotte and took over the No. 66 Truck for Turn One Racing in the Camping World Truck Series after Justin Marks vacated the seat. His debut at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis ended in tenth place. Through connections in the watermelon business, he secured a rookie program with SS-Green Light Racing in 2012 in the No. 08, sponsored by the National Watermelon Association, achieving a career-best seventh-place finish at Martinsville and third place at Bristol. In 2013, he moved to Brad Keselowski Racing, ran fifteen Truck races, and claimed his first pole position at Iowa, along with second-place finishes at Iowa and Phoenix.

Chastain collected his career’s greatest achievements in the following years: in 2019, he became Truck Series runner-up with Niece Motorsports, scored three wins, and was voted the series’ most popular driver. In 2022, he delivered the legendary “Hail Melon” moment at Martinsville in the Cup Series, passing five vehicles along the outside wall in the final lap and catapulting himself into the Championship 4; he finished the season as runner-up. In 2025, his victory at the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte marked Trackhouse Racing’s first Crown Jewel win, after he had previously become one of the few drivers to win at the same track across all three national NASCAR series.

In the 2026 season, Ross Chastain continues as a full-time driver for Trackhouse Racing, piloting the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the NASCAR Cup Series. Following the historic Coca-Cola 600 victory and the 2022 runner-up championship, the Florida farmer’s sights are once again set on the Championship 4, with the clear goal of leading Trackhouse Racing to the team’s first Cup championship.