Ross Chastain Bio
Ross Lee Chastain, born on December 4, 1992, is an American professional stock car racing driver from Alva, Florida. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Trackhouse Racing. He also runs a part-time schedule in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, driving the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro SS for JR Motorsports. Chastain is the older brother of fellow NASCAR driver Chad Chastain and is widely known for his aggressive driving style and his background in the watermelon farming industry.
Early Life and Background
Ross Lee Chastain was born on December 4, 1992, in Alva, Florida, to parents Ralph Chastain and Susan Chastain. He grew up in a family with deep agricultural roots, working on the family’s watermelon farm until he turned thirteen. His interest in racing was sparked at a young age after watching his father race as a hobby and seeing other children his age compete on local tracks. That early exposure set him on a path toward a career in motorsports.
Chastain began racing at the age of twelve, with his home track being Punta Gorda Speedway in Punta Gorda, Florida. He competed in both late model and Fastruck Series events at venues such as Citrus County Speedway, Auburndale Speedway, and DeSoto Speedway, often racing on a tight budget. He attended Riverdale High School in Fort Myers and later enrolled at Florida Gulf Coast University for a semester before stepping away to focus on racing. Over the course of his short-track career, Chastain earned more than fifty feature wins.
Path to NASCAR
Chastain’s breakout moment came during the 2011 World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna Speedway, where he won the Limited Late Model portion by taking three of eight events. That same year, he moved to Charlotte and took over the No. 66 Turn One Racing entry in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series after Justin Marks vacated the seat. His first Truck race at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis was his first event with live pit stops, and he finished tenth.
Connections in the watermelon farming industry helped Chastain land additional Truck Series races, although several were cut short by incidents at Bristol Motor Speedway and Kentucky Speedway. In 2012, he joined SS-Green Light Racing to compete for Rookie of the Year honors, driving the No. 08 truck sponsored by the National Watermelon Association. A third-place finish at Bristol in August marked his best result of the season. By 2013, he had moved to Brad Keselowski Racing, where he earned his first career Truck Series pole at Iowa Speedway and led the most laps in the race.
Ross Chastain Career
Early Career (2014-2017)
After parting ways with Brad Keselowski Racing, Chastain ran a part-time Truck Series schedule with RBR Enterprises in 2014 before being released from the ride following the Martinsville race. He made his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut at Charlotte Motor Speedway that May, driving the No. 55 for Viva motorsports, and later joined Hattori Racing Enterprises for a Truck Series event at Michigan International Speedway, where his twelfth-place finish was the team’s best at the time.
In 2015, Chastain joined JD Motorsports in the Xfinity Series, replacing Jeffrey Earnhardt. He posted four top-ten finishes during the year, including a ninth at the PowerShares QQQ 300 at Daytona, and was involved in an on-track altercation with Ryan Reed at Richmond International Raceway. His 2017 Xfinity season was his strongest to that point, highlighted by a top-five at Iowa and a thirteenth-place finish in the final standings, the highest of any non-playoff driver. That same year, he made his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut with Premium Motorsports in the AAA 400 Drive for Autism at Dover, finishing twentieth.
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Breakthrough (2018-2020)
Chastain’s 2018 Xfinity season delivered his first national series victory. Driving the No. 42 for Chip Ganassi Racing at the DC Solar 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, he led all but twenty of the 200 laps and held off Justin Allgaier to win, securing a playoff berth in the process. He celebrated by smashing a watermelon on the track, a nod to his family’s farming roots. Despite falling out of the playoffs after the opening round, the win marked a turning point in his career.
In 2019, Chastain raced for Niece Motorsports in the Truck Series and won his first career Truck event at Kansas Speedway in the Digital Ally 250. He followed that with a dominant run at Iowa, but post-race inspection disqualified his truck, making him the first driver since Dale Jarrett in 1995 to have a win revoked. He bounced back the next week at Gateway with a victory and added another Truck win at Pocono, dedicating it to Kaulig crew chief Nick Harrison. He also captured the 2019 Circle K Firecracker 250 at Daytona for Kaulig Racing.
Chastain moved to Kaulig Racing full-time in the Xfinity Series in 2020 and finished a career-high seventh in the standings with twenty-seven top-tens, the most of any driver that season, despite not winning a race. He also filled in for an injured Ryan Newman at Roush Fenway Racing, driving the No. 6 Ford for three races before the COVID-19 pandemic paused the season.
NASCAR Cup Series Breakthrough (2021-2022)
Chastain joined Chip Ganassi Racing’s Cup program in 2021, replacing Matt Kenseth in the No. 42 Chevrolet. His tenure opened with a seventh-place run at the Daytona 500, his best Cup result to that point. Following Justin Marks’s purchase of Chip Ganassi Racing’s NASCAR operations, Chastain was announced as the driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Trackhouse Racing in 2022, alongside teammate Daniel Suárez.
The 2022 season was Chastain’s breakout year. He won his first career Cup race at the Circuit of the Americas and added a second victory at Talladega Superspeedway. He capped the season with a runner-up finish in the final championship standings, his best career result. The defining moment came at the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway, where he drove his car into the outside wall on the final lap to gain unprecedented speed, a maneuver nicknamed “Hail Melon” that earned him a spot in the Championship 4.
Trackhouse Racing Era (2022-Present)
Since joining Trackhouse Racing, Chastain has established himself as a weekly threat in the Cup Series. He opened 2023 with a ninth-place finish at the Daytona 500 and added wins at Nashville and the season finale at Phoenix, finishing ninth in points. In 2024, he missed the playoffs for the first time since 2021 but rebounded with a victory at Kansas during the postseason. He also returned to victory lane in the Truck Series with Niece Motorsports at Darlington.
The 2025 season brought one of the most memorable moments of his career. Starting last in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, Chastain ran down and passed dominant driver William Byron with five laps to go to claim the win, becoming the first driver in the modern Cup Series era to win a race from the back of the field. Earlier in the year, he was eliminated from the playoffs following the Charlotte Roval event.
Driving Style and Strengths
Chastain is known for an aggressive, never-back-down driving style that has earned him both fans and critics. He is especially strong on intermediate tracks and superspeedways, where his willingness to make bold moves often produces strong runs. His spotter is Brandon McReynolds, and his late-model and short-track background gives him strong car control in tight racing conditions.
Notable Races and Milestones
Chastain’s signature moments include his 2022 “Hail Melon” move at Martinsville, which drew more than 100 million views on social media, his first Cup win at the Circuit of the Americas, and his 2025 Coca-Cola 600 triumph from the last starting position. He is also one of only fourteen drivers in NASCAR history to win a race in all three national series at the same track, Charlotte.
Ross Chastain Career Wins
Ross Chastain has built a versatile résumé with victories in all three of NASCAR’s national series. He has posted six wins in the NASCAR Cup Series, three in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, and five in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. His first national series win came in the 2018 DC Solar 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the Xfinity Series.
Cup Series Highlights
Chastain’s six Cup Series wins include his debut victory at the Circuit of the Americas in 2022, a win at Talladega that same year, two victories in 2023 at Nashville and Phoenix, a 2024 playoff win at Kansas, and the 2025 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte. His best championship finish came in 2022, when he placed second in the final standings.
Other Wins and Performances
In the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Chastain has five wins, including his first at Kansas in 2019 and his most recent at Darlington in 2024 with Niece Motorsports. In the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, he has three wins, with his first coming at Las Vegas in 2018 and his most recent at Charlotte in 2026. He also captured the 2011 World Series of Asphalt Limited Late Model championship at New Smyrna Speedway.
| Series | Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASCAR Cup Series | 6 | 74 | 2 |
| NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series | 3 | 62 | 2 |
| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series | 5 | 56 | 4 |
Ross Chastain Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Ross Chastain is the son of Ralph Chastain and Susan Chastain, and he grew up working on the family’s watermelon farm in Alva, Florida. While his father raced as a hobby, Ross is the first generation of his family to race competitively. His brother, Chad Chastain, is also a NASCAR driver, and he is the nephew of former stock car racer Roger Chastain, who passed away due to COVID-19 complications in 2021.
Personal Life
Chastain is in a relationship with Erika Anne Turner. He graduated from Riverdale High School in Fort Myers and briefly attended Florida Gulf Coast University before leaving to pursue racing full-time. He remains connected to his farming roots and has become known for smashing a watermelon in victory lane as a tribute to his family’s heritage.
2025 Season Performance
Ross Chastain opened the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season with a 40th-place finish at the Daytona 500 after a late-race incident. He spent much of the regular season building momentum, posting consistent top-ten finishes and demonstrating strong intermediate-track pace with the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing team. His playoff hopes, however, were cut short when he was eliminated following the Charlotte Roval race.
The defining moment of his 2025 campaign came at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Starting from the rear of the field, Chastain tracked down race-long leader William Byron in the closing laps and made the decisive pass with five laps remaining to claim the victory. The win was historic, as it made him the first driver in the modern Cup Series era to win a race from the last starting position. He also earned the 2019 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Most Popular Driver Award earlier in his career.
Looking ahead, Chastain remains under contract with Trackhouse Racing and is expected to continue as a championship contender in 2026. With the foundation of the No. 1 team now firmly established, his aggressive driving style and short-track instincts make him a weekly threat across the Cup Series schedule.
