CONCORD, N.C. — As Ross Chastain prepares for the longest race of the year, the Coca-Cola 600, the Cup Series driver for Trackhouse hopes to carry his unique winning traditions to one of the biggest stages. Watermelon smashing.
Chastain is an 8th-generation watermelon farmer. Although he has to travel nearly every week for ten months out of the year, he always has a piece of home with him.
"We always have some on the hauler all year," Chastain said. "We pick and buy them at the grocery store wherever we're at in the country."
The Chastain watermelon farm is located in South Florida. This weekend, Chastain's dad is making the trip up to Charlotte to watch his son race.
"My dad is driving up tomorrow and bringing some fresh from the farm."
The secret to a perfect watermelon smash is quite simple.
"Height. So I'm not a very tall guy, so I found that to get a bigger splash pattern, I need to get on top of the racecar," the driver joked. "Even though it might dent the roof a little, my team is okay with it because that means we won, so they'll just fix it after."
Chastain is eager to throw down a watermelon for not only the first time this season but the first time at the Coca-Cola 600.
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