Many NASCAR drivers have a nickname or moniker that defines them. Richard Petty is known as ‘The King.’ Dale Earnhardt Sr is known as ‘The Intimidator.’ Jimmie Johnson is called ‘Superman,’ Kyle Busch is known as ‘Rowdy,’ and there are many more. However, Ross Chastain has a unique nickname, ‘The Melon Man.’ As it turns out, Chastain’s family comes from a watermelon farming background. In fact, he often celebrates race wins by smashing a watermelon to the ground in Victory Lane. With two Xfinity and three Truck wins, that is a grand total of five smashed watermelons. His second race win came at the Daytona International Speedway after a 2018 Xfinity [https://www.essentiallysports.com/nascar-news-kaulig-racing-and-ross-chastain-to-conduct-a-giveaway-for-thanksgiving/] win in Las Vegas. Obviously, he had to find a memorable way to celebrate, and the family helped him with that. “Winning at Daytona was an ultimate bucket list item I got to cross off,” Chastain said [https://www.news-press.com/story/sports/2019/11/14/alva-native-ross-chastain-line-nascar-trucks-title/4190021002/]. “I went there every Fourth of July with my family, sat through all the rain delays, camped outside turn one. My whole family was there, and my brother ran on the infield to bring me a watermelon to smash. I still get goosebumps. The hair on the back of my neck stands up just thinking about that moment.” WHAT LIES IN THE FUTURE FOR ROSS CHASTAIN IN NASCAR CUP SERIES? Since that Daytona win, he has won three Truck races in the 2019 season. So, Kansas, the World Wide Raceway, and Pocono got the watermelon treatment. Admittedly, he has yet to win a race in the Cup Series but is racing with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2021. Who knows, maybe he will get a chance to smash a watermelon in the Cup Series at last. His best-ever finish in NASCAR’s top tier is 10th place at the 2019 Daytona 500. Since he has performed well at Daytona often, the 2021 race could be his best chance for a maiden Cup victory. 

Ross Chastain is known as the Melon Man, and there is actually a bit of a story
behind it. He even has a special celebration for race wins.

Dhruv George is a senior Formula One and NASCAR analyst for EssentiallySports,
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Ross Chastain: The Story Behind the ‘Melon Man’ Nickname for the New NASCAR Cup
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<h1 style="text-align: center"><b>Ross Chastain: Net Worth 2024, Stats, Salary, Wife and More</b></h1>
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>Who is Ross Chastain?Â </strong></h2>
For those familiar with NASCAR, Ross Chastain is perhaps one of the most regular names in the circuit. Driving for <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/category/trackhouse-racing-team/">Trackhouse Racing Team</a>, the driver has certainly made a name among the most popular. Currently, he competes full-time in the <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/category/nascar/nascar-cup-series/">NASCAR Cup series</a> along with a part-time role in the <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/category/nascar/nascar-truck-series/">Craftsman Truck Series</a>.

[caption id="attachment_2651516" align="alignnone" width="6000"]<img class="wp-image-2651516 size-full" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/2024-02-14T195309Z_919765153_MT1USATODAY22520273_RTRMADP_3_NASCAR-DAYTONA-500-MEDIA-DAY.jpg" alt="" width="6000" height="4000" /> Feb 14, 2024; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Ross Chastain (1) speaks with reporters during media day at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports[/caption]
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>Ross Chastain family</strong></h2>
Unlike many in NASCAR, Ross Chastain does not come from a racing background. His family's legacy is instead rooted in watermelon farming dating back to several generations. Chastain was born to Ralph Chastain and Susan Chastain, who still run a watermelon farm in South Florida named JDI Farms. Born on December 4, 1992, in Alva, Florida, Chastain currently resides in Mooresville, North Carolina. He only has one sibling, a brother named Chad Chastain, who is also a stock car racing driver, primarily competing in the Xfinity and Truck Series.

As far as his education is concerned, Chastain attended Riverdale High School in Fort Myers. Further in his career, he joined the Florida Gulf Coast University for a semester before he joined the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>Ross Chastainâ€™s Wife and Children</strong></h2>
According to reports, Ross Chastain <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/nascar-news-is-ross-chastain-in-a-relationship-meet-nascar-drivers-girlfriend-erika-anne-turner/">is currently dating Erika Anne Turner</a>. Turner, currently a real estate agent by profession, graduated from the University of North Carolina with a dual degree in communication and business, as per a report by Terri Bias &amp; Associates. To add to that, Turner is also a model and beauty pageant contestant. She won the Miss North Carolina United States award in 2021 and the Miss US Landscapes in 2020.

It is unclear how the couple met. However, Erika Anne Turner's updates on social media involving Chastain are proof enough that the duo is going strong. As for when we can expect wedding bells, we'll have to wait for an official update.

The couple does not have any children.
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>Ross Chastain Net Worth 2024</strong></h2>
As per reports online, Chastain has amassed an approximate net worth of about $4 million. Although his current salary is unknown, he was supposedly earning around $2 million during his time atÂ <a class="jsx-2b55705d932ea6e9" href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/category/nascar/chip-ganassi-racing/" target="_self" rel="noopener">Chip Ganassi Racing</a>Â in 2021. Since joining theÂ Trackhouse RacingÂ team in 2022, he has made immense progress in the Cup Series.

The eighth generation watermelon farmer and driver's major source of earnings comes from NASCAR. In addition, he has his own merchandise store to generate more income.
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>Ross Chastain Career Timeline</strong></h2>
Until the age of twelve, Chastain was working as a watermelon farmer on his family's farm. Interestingly, it was his father's pastime hobby to race that attracted him to get into the racing arena. He initially started with competing in late model and Fastruck Series events, and during his career in short tracks, registered wins in over fifty featured races.

In fact, his impressive form in the 2011 World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing earned him an unexpected move. It saw him replace Justin Marks in the NASCAR Camping Truck Series in the middle of 2011. While it was a big move, he had a decent debut after finishing tenth in the race at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis. Further in 2013, Chastain joined Brad Keselowski Racing in 15 Camping World Truck Series contests.

And in 2017, he finally made his debut in the Cup Series driving for Premium Motorsports, in the AAA 400 Drive for Autism at Dover. Over time, Chastain seems to have only gotten better despite his aggressive style of racing. In 2021, he joined Chip Ganassi Racing and a year later was recruited by Trackhouse Racing.

However, despite being a full-time racer in the Cup Series, Chastain's love to take part in the Truck Series hasn't lessened one bit. He still continues to participate in a part-time role for Niece Motorsports, respectively.
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>Ross Chastainâ€™s Partnerships and Endorsements</strong></h2>
Ross Chastain is quite a promising name in NASCAR. Perhaps that explains why the driver enjoys the backing of so many well-established brands. From <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/kevin-harvick/">Kevin Harvick</a>'s former long-time <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/nascar-news-ross-chastains-hundred-and-ten-billion-dollar-blow-to-tony-stewart-triggers-uncanny-demands-from-nascar-world/">$110 billion worth sponsor Anheuser-Busch</a>, to Jockey and Kubota, there's no dearth of sponsors for the #1 driver. Others include Moose Fraternity, Worldwide Express,

[caption id="attachment_2651519" align="alignnone" width="2954"]<img class="wp-image-2651519 size-full" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/2024-02-15T033348Z_1946298914_MT1USATODAY22524697_RTRMADP_3_NASCAR-CUP-QUALIFYING.jpg" alt="" width="2954" height="1969" /> Feb 14, 2024; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Ross Chastain (1) during qualifying for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports[/caption]
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>Ross Chastainâ€™s NASCAR Career Stats</strong></h2>
Since his debut in NASCAR's top division, Chastain has competed in 187 races, out of which he has clinched a victory on four different occasions. The racer also has 46 Top-10s and one pole position in the tourney. In the Xfinity Series, Chastain has competed in 204 races and clinched two wins, 51 Top-10s and one pole. Additionally, in NASCAR's third division, the Truck Series, the driver has four wins, 47 Top-10s and four poles in 107 races.

In his elaborate Cup Series run, Ross Chastain's career took off in the truest sense after the driver joined the Trackhouse Racing Team. Ever since joining the team, Chastain has made regular playoff appearances, finished second in 2022 and ninth in 2023.
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>Ross Chastainâ€™s Major Achievements and Awards</strong></h2>
Apart from his NASCAR achievements, Ross Chastain has also made headlines for his various other accomplishments. The driver won the Limited Late Model portion of the 2011 World Series Of Asphalt Stock Car Racing atÂ New Smyrna Speedway, winning three of eight events in the series. He was also crowned the 2019 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Most Popular Driver. What made the award even more notable for Chastain, 2019's breakout star in the division, was the fact that the news reached him on his 27th birthday.
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>Ross Chastain Brawl with Noah Gragson</strong></h2>
In his career, Ross Chastain has given his fans plenty of memorable moments. From the 'Hail Melon' move to his 2023's final Phoenix Raceway P1 finish beating the Top 4, Chastain knows how to attract eyeballs. But besides all of that, what people also remember him by is when he decided to throw punches at Stewart-Haas Racing driver Noah Gragson.

The incident unfolded in the aftermath of the Kansas Speedway race in May 2o23. The duo were reportedly at loggerheads against each other's driving styles, which led to a physical altercation on pit road with Chastain delivering the first blow after Gragson grabbed the #1 driver's firesuit. Later, Gragson talked about the driver and said, <em>"The guy just runs into everyone. When youâ€™ve got guys like Chase Elliott saying, â€˜Go beat his a*s,â€™ everyone is sick and tired of him and nobody has the b*lls to go up and get him.â€</em>

However, the Trackhouse Racing driver later cleared the air and <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/nascar-news-ross-chastain-puts-punchgate-behind-him-as-he-declares-truce-with-latest-rival-noah-gragson/">declared how there was no bad blood between the two anymore</a>. <i>"So we are good and talked on Monday on the phone. And then we were together testing some micro-sprint cars on Monday night. We worked out together this week. Itâ€™s good, done and over with, and we have been able to move on and laugh about it now,â€Â </i> he said.


<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>Ross Chastain and Hail Melon</strong></h2>
A popular moniker that the #1 driver has garnered is 'The Watermelon Man', which came into being after Chastain showed off his unique victory celebration. Upon finishing P1, the driver is seen smashing a watermelon on the track to commemorate his win.

<img class="alignnone wp-image-2716700 size-full" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/F0h1AKyWAAAZqmZ.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="801" />

Apart from that, Chastain has also been popularized in the mainstream NASCAR circuit by a move that drivers and fans still remember to this day. Known as the 'Hail Melon', the move saw Chastain perform a video game-esque move riding the outside wall during the last lap, beating Denny Hamlin at the Martinsville Speedway in October 2022.


<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>Ross Chastain and Hendrick Motorsports</strong></h2>
Apart from his feud with Noah Gragson, the driver was also caught in controversy when he reportedly wrecked <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/kyle-larson">Kyle Larson</a> deliberately during the May 2023 race at Darlington Raceway. The incident occurred after <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/category/nascar/hendrick-motorsports/">Hendrick Motorsports</a> driver Larson had seemingly pushed the #1 driver into the wall. And, in a retaliatory move, just a few laps later, Chastain gave it back to the #5 driver with a similar move after a restart. However, it didn't end well as Chastain lost control of his car and spun, thereby taking Larson with him, ending their race.



Naturally, this didn't go well with HMS owner <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/rick-hendrick/">Rick Hendrick</a> who a stern warning to the Trackhouse Racing star. <em>â€œI donâ€™t care if heâ€™s driving a Chevrolet if he wrecks our cars. I donâ€™t care. Iâ€™ve told Chevrolet that. If you wreck us, youâ€™re going to get it back. If you donâ€™t do it, theyâ€™ll run all over you,"</em> Hendrick shared at the time.

<em>â€œHe doesnâ€™t have to be that aggressive. I guess at this point in the race maybe youâ€™re super aggressive, but you just donâ€™t run people up in the fence. Heâ€™s going to make a lot of enemies. Itâ€™s hard to win a championship when youâ€™ve got a lot of paybacks out there,â€</em> the team owner further said.

[caption id="attachment_1747317" align="alignnone" width="1920"]<img class="wp-image-1747317 size-full" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/photo-grid-1-23.png" alt="Ross Chastain, Rick Hendrick, NASCAR" width="1920" height="1440" /> Image Credits: Imago[/caption]

However, Chastain, who was being constantly criticized for his aggressive driving style made a comeback only a month later when he clinched the pole position at <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/category/nascar/nashville-superspeedway/">Nashville Superspeedway</a> and even finished the race P1. Later, in a post race interview, <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/nascar-news-one-month-after-being-warned-by-rick-hendrick-ross-chastain-fires-back-with-they-will-try-to-tear-you-down-bombshell/">the driver hit back at critics</a> and said, <i>â€œThis is incredible. This is for every little kid out there anywhere in the world, when you are criticized and you are going to be competitive,Â they will try to tear you down. You will start believing in them. You canâ€™t do it.â€</i>

&nbsp;
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>Ross Chastain Social Media</strong></h2>
<table style="width: 43%;height: 96px">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 76.8472px;height: 24px"><span style="font-weight: 400">Facebook</span></td>
<td style="width: 366.486px;height: 24px"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/RossChastainRacing/">https://www.facebook.com/RossChastainRacing/</a></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 76.8472px;height: 24px"><span style="font-weight: 400">Instagram</span></td>
<td style="width: 366.486px;height: 24px"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/rosschastain/?hl=en">https://www.instagram.com/rosschastain/</a></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 48px">
<td style="width: 76.8472px;height: 48px"><span style="font-weight: 400">Twitter</span></td>
<td style="width: 366.486px;height: 48px"><a href="https://twitter.com/RossChastain?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">https://twitter.com/RossChastain/</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;
<table style="width: 59.4488%;height: 432px">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 41.5645%;height: 24px"><span style="font-weight: 400">Full Name</span></td>
<td style="width: 280.288%;height: 24px">Ross Lee Chastain</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 41.5645%;height: 24px"><span style="font-weight: 400">Popular Name</span></td>
<td style="width: 280.288%;height: 24px">Ross Chastain, Watermelon Man</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 41.5645%;height: 24px"><span style="font-weight: 400">Birth Date</span></td>
<td style="width: 280.288%;height: 24px">December 4, 1992<span class="noprint ForceAgeToShow">Â </span></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 41.5645%;height: 24px"><span style="font-weight: 400">Birth Place</span></td>
<td style="width: 280.288%;height: 24px">Alva, Florida, U.S.</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 41.5645%;height: 24px"><span style="font-weight: 400">Age</span></td>
<td style="width: 280.288%;height: 24px">31</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 41.5645%;height: 24px"><span style="font-weight: 400">Height</span></td>
<td style="width: 280.288%;height: 24px">Â -</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 41.5645%;height: 24px"><span style="font-weight: 400">Weight</span></td>
<td style="width: 280.288%;height: 24px">Â -</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 41.5645%;height: 24px"><span style="font-weight: 400">Parents</span></td>
<td style="width: 280.288%;height: 24px">Ralph Chastain, Susan Chastain</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 41.5645%;height: 24px"><span style="font-weight: 400">Siblings</span></td>
<td style="width: 280.288%;height: 24px">Chad Chastain</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 41.5645%;height: 24px"><span style="font-weight: 400">Nationality</span></td>
<td style="width: 280.288%;height: 24px">American</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 41.5645%;height: 24px"><span style="font-weight: 400">Ethnicity</span></td>
<td style="width: 280.288%;height: 24px">Caucasian</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 41.5645%;height: 24px"><span style="font-weight: 400">Net Worth</span></td>
<td style="width: 280.288%;height: 24px">$4 million</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 41.5645%;height: 24px"><span style="font-weight: 400">Salary</span></td>
<td style="width: 280.288%;height: 24px">Â -</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 41.5645%;height: 24px"><span style="font-weight: 400">Spouse</span></td>
<td style="width: 280.288%;height: 24px">Â -</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 41.5645%;height: 24px"><span style="font-weight: 400">Relationship/Marital Status</span></td>
<td style="width: 280.288%;height: 24px">Â Dating Erika Anne Turner</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 41.5645%;height: 24px"><span style="font-weight: 400">Children</span></td>
<td style="width: 280.288%;height: 24px">Â -</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 41.5645%;height: 24px"><span style="font-weight: 400">Profession</span></td>
<td style="width: 280.288%;height: 24px">Â Stock car racing driver</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 41.5645%;height: 24px"><span style="font-weight: 400">Team</span></td>
<td style="width: 280.288%;height: 24px">Trackhouse Racing</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;

Ross Chastain

Ross Chastain: Net Worth 2024, Stats, Salary, Wife and More Who is Ross Chastain?Â  For those familiar with NASCAR, Ross Chastain is perhaps one of the most regular names in the circuit. Driving for Trackhouse Racing Team, the driver has certainly made a name among the most popular. Currently, he competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup series along with a part-time role in the Craftsman Truck Series. Feb 14, 2024; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Ross Chastain (1) speaks with reporters during media day at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports Ross Chastain family Unlike many in NASCAR, Ross Chastain does not come from a racing background. His family&#8217;s legacy is instead rooted in watermelon farming dating back to several generations. Chastain was born to Ralph Chastain and Susan Chastain, who still run a watermelon farm in South Florida named JDI Farms. Born on December 4, 1992, in Alva, Florida, Chastain currently resides in Mooresville, North Carolina. He only has one sibling, a brother named Chad Chastain, who is also a stock car racing driver, primarily competing in the Xfinity and Truck Series. As far as his education is concerned, Chastain attended Riverdale High School in Fort Myers. Further in his career, he joined the Florida Gulf Coast University for a semester before he joined the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Ross Chastainâ€™s Wife and Children According to reports, Ross Chastain is currently dating Erika Anne Turner. Turner, currently a real estate agent by profession, graduated from the University of North Carolina with a dual degree in communication and business, as per a report by Terri Bias &amp; Associates. To add to that, Turner is also a model and beauty pageant contestant. She won the Miss North Carolina United States award in 2021 and the Miss US Landscapes in 2020. It is unclear how the couple met. However, Erika Anne Turner&#8217;s updates on social media involving Chastain are proof enough that the duo is going strong. As for when we can expect wedding bells, we&#8217;ll have to wait for an official update. The couple does not have any children. Ross Chastain Net Worth 2024 As per reports online, Chastain has amassed an approximate net worth of about $4 million. Although his current salary is unknown, he was supposedly earning around $2 million during his time atÂ Chip Ganassi RacingÂ in 2021. Since joining theÂ Trackhouse RacingÂ team in 2022, he has made immense progress in the Cup Series. The eighth generation watermelon farmer and driver&#8217;s major source of earnings comes from NASCAR. In addition, he has his own merchandise store to generate more income. Ross Chastain Career Timeline Until the age of twelve, Chastain was working as a watermelon farmer on his family&#8217;s farm. Interestingly, it was his father&#8217;s pastime hobby to race that attracted him to get into the racing arena. He initially started with competing in late model and Fastruck Series events, and during his career in short tracks, registered wins in over fifty featured races. In fact, his impressive form in the 2011 World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing earned him an unexpected move. It saw him replace Justin Marks in the NASCAR Camping Truck Series in the middle of 2011. While it was a big move, he had a decent debut after finishing tenth in the race at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis. Further in 2013, Chastain joined Brad Keselowski Racing in 15 Camping World Truck Series contests. And in 2017, he finally made his debut in the Cup Series driving for Premium Motorsports, in the AAA 400 Drive for Autism at Dover. Over time, Chastain seems to have only gotten better despite his aggressive style of racing. In 2021, he joined Chip Ganassi Racing and a year later was recruited by Trackhouse Racing. However, despite being a full-time racer in the Cup Series, Chastain&#8217;s love to take part in the Truck Series hasn&#8217;t lessened one bit. He still continues to participate in a part-time role for Niece Motorsports, respectively. Ross Chastainâ€™s Partnerships and Endorsements Ross Chastain is quite a promising name in NASCAR. Perhaps that explains why the driver enjoys the backing of so many well-established brands. From Kevin Harvick&#8216;s former long-time $110 billion worth sponsor Anheuser-Busch, to Jockey and Kubota, there&#8217;s no dearth of sponsors for the #1 driver. Others include Moose Fraternity, Worldwide Express, Feb 14, 2024; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Ross Chastain (1) during qualifying for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports Ross Chastainâ€™s NASCAR Career Stats Since his debut in NASCAR&#8217;s top division, Chastain has competed in 187 races, out of which he has clinched a victory on four different occasions. The racer also has 46 Top-10s and one pole position in the tourney. In the Xfinity Series, Chastain has competed in 204 races and clinched two wins, 51 Top-10s and one pole. Additionally, in NASCAR&#8217;s third division, the Truck Series, the driver has four wins, 47 Top-10s and four poles in 107 races. In his elaborate Cup Series run, Ross Chastain&#8217;s career took off in the truest sense after the driver joined the Trackhouse Racing Team. Ever since joining the team, Chastain has made regular playoff appearances, finished second in 2022 and ninth in 2023. Ross Chastainâ€™s Major Achievements and Awards Apart from his NASCAR achievements, Ross Chastain has also made headlines for his various other accomplishments. The driver won the Limited Late Model portion of the 2011 World Series Of Asphalt Stock Car Racing atÂ New Smyrna Speedway, winning three of eight events in the series. He was also crowned the 2019 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Most Popular Driver. What made the award even more notable for Chastain, 2019&#8217;s breakout star in the division, was the fact that the news reached him on his 27th birthday. Ross Chastain Brawl with Noah Gragson In his career, Ross Chastain has given his fans plenty of memorable moments. From the &#8216;Hail Melon&#8217; move to his 2023&#8217;s final Phoenix Raceway P1 finish beating the Top 4, Chastain knows how to attract eyeballs. But besides all of that, what people also remember him by is when he decided to throw punches at Stewart-Haas Racing driver Noah Gragson. The incident unfolded in the aftermath of the Kansas Speedway race in May 2o23. The duo were reportedly at loggerheads against each other&#8217;s driving styles, which led to a physical altercation on pit road with Chastain delivering the first blow after Gragson grabbed the #1 driver&#8217;s firesuit. Later, Gragson talked about the driver and said, &#8220;The guy just runs into everyone. When youâ€™ve got guys like Chase Elliott saying, â€˜Go beat his a*s,â€™ everyone is sick and tired of him and nobody has the b*lls to go up and get him.â€ However, the Trackhouse Racing driver later cleared the air and declared how there was no bad blood between the two anymore. &#8220;So we are good and talked on Monday on the phone. And then we were together testing some micro-sprint cars on Monday night. We worked out together this week. Itâ€™s good, done and over with, and we have been able to move on and laugh about it now,â€Â  he said. Ross Chastain and Hail Melon A popular moniker that the #1 driver has garnered is &#8216;The Watermelon Man&#8217;, which came into being after Chastain showed off his unique victory celebration. Upon finishing P1, the driver is seen smashing a watermelon on the track to commemorate his win. Apart from that, Chastain has also been popularized in the mainstream NASCAR circuit by a move that drivers and fans still remember to this day. Known as the &#8216;Hail Melon&#8217;, the move saw Chastain perform a video game-esque move riding the outside wall during the last lap, beating Denny Hamlin at the Martinsville Speedway in October 2022. Ross Chastain and Hendrick Motorsports Apart from his feud with Noah Gragson, the driver was also caught in controversy when he reportedly wrecked Kyle Larson deliberately during the May 2023 race at Darlington Raceway. The incident occurred after Hendrick Motorsports driver Larson had seemingly pushed the #1 driver into the wall. And, in a retaliatory move, just a few laps later, Chastain gave it back to the #5 driver with a similar move after a restart. However, it didn&#8217;t end well as Chastain lost control of his car and spun, thereby taking Larson with him, ending their race. Naturally, this didn&#8217;t go well with HMS owner Rick Hendrick who a stern warning to the Trackhouse Racing star. â€œI donâ€™t care if heâ€™s driving a Chevrolet if he wrecks our cars. I donâ€™t care. Iâ€™ve told Chevrolet that. If you wreck us, youâ€™re going to get it back. If you donâ€™t do it, theyâ€™ll run all over you,&#8221; Hendrick shared at the time. â€œHe doesnâ€™t have to be that aggressive. I guess at this point in the race maybe youâ€™re super aggressive, but you just donâ€™t run people up in the fence. Heâ€™s going to make a lot of enemies. Itâ€™s hard to win a championship when youâ€™ve got a lot of paybacks out there,â€ the team owner further said. Image Credits: Imago However, Chastain, who was being constantly criticized for his aggressive driving style made a comeback only a month later when he clinched the pole position at Nashville Superspeedway and even finished the race P1. Later, in a post race interview, the driver hit back at critics and said, â€œThis is incredible. This is for every little kid out there anywhere in the world, when you are criticized and you are going to be competitive,Â they will try to tear you down. You will start believing in them. You canâ€™t do it.â€ &nbsp; Ross Chastain Social Media  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RossChastainRacing/  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/rosschastain/  Twitter https://twitter.com/RossChastain/  &nbsp;  Full Name Ross Lee Chastain  Popular Name Ross Chastain, Watermelon Man  Birth Date December 4, 1992Â   Birth Place Alva, Florida, U.S.  Age 31  Height Â &#8211;  Weight Â &#8211;  Parents Ralph Chastain, Susan Chastain  Siblings Chad Chastain  Nationality American  Ethnicity Caucasian  Net Worth $4 million  Salary Â &#8211;  Spouse Â &#8211;  Relationship/Marital Status Â Dating Erika Anne Turner  Children Â &#8211;  Profession Â Stock car racing driver  Team Trackhouse Racing  &nbsp;

Ross Chastain: The Story Behind the ‘Melon Man’ Nickname for the New NASCAR Cup Series Driver

What lies in the future for Ross Chastain in NASCAR Cup Series?