When it comes to signature moves in NASCAR, Ross Chastain‘s name is seldom left out. When the Trackhouse Racing speedster wins a race, he makes sure to celebrate it with an iconic move that fans and critics love equally. But, after his second win of the season at Phoenix, the coveted celebration was nowhere to be seen on NBC Sports coverage, shocking and disappointing many in NASCAR nation.

After Ross Chastain held off the 2023 Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney to become the first non-championship driver since 2014 to win the Cup Series Grand Finale, viewers had expected the famous watermelon-smashing move to grace screens. However, it seemed like nobody gave him the due footage that he deserved despite his incredible performance at Phoenix Raceway.

Fans bash NBC, claiming superiority of Ross Chastain’s post-race celebration

As the race concluded and celebrations took precedence, one question arose: Where is the watermelon move? To the surprise of many, Ross Chastain did climb out of his car, get on top of it, and smash a watermelon on the ground. Later, he picked it up and shared a piece with teammate Daniel Suarez. Sadly, NBC Sports was too busy recording Ryan Blaney’s championship speech, and this marvelous spectacle went unnoticed.

People watching from their homes were utterly disappointed when they realised the iconic celebration had been completely ignored. But after Trackhouse Racing uploaded a clip of the same on Instagram, fans finally got to see the revered display of celebration. Most of them also took to the comment section to slam NBC for not showing them Chastain’s antics.

Someone exclaimed, while commenting on the watermelon smashing video, saying, “We got robbed of the smash and cheers on the broadcast. This makes me happy. HAIL MELON!”

Another fan pointed fingers at NBC and wrote, “NBC robbed us of the one thing everyone wanted to see.”

“Sorry Ross, we wanted to see you celebrate your win but NBC coverage absolutely sucks and they apparently felt winning the race didn’t matter, the only thing that mattered to them was the championship,” admitted an apologetic supporter.

On that very note, a motorsport enthusiast commented, “This is what I wanted to see so bad yesterday. But they never showed it.”

“Ross got disrespected by the broadcast. Congrats on the win,” added one.

Meanwhile, a user left the chat with the following comment, “I think Ross’s celebration was more exciting than Blaney’s interview and reaction to winning the championship.”

While the watermelon might have been a major talking point , the post-race tension between Ryan Blaney and Ross Chastain also stirred up quite a debate.

Ross Chastain wasn’t apologetic about giving Ryan Blaney a hard time

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It wasn’t a matter of doubt that Ross Chastain had a fast car. He led a race-high 157 laps, including the final 31, that had Ryan Blaney curse in utter frustration. Even the in-car cameras of the #12 machine saw Ryan Blaney put a hand down from his steering as he failed to pass Ross Chastain, who blocked three rows at the same time, veering left and right constantly.

Ryan Blaney was so mad that he bumped Ross Chastain, trying to clear him off in between turns 1 and 2. Moments after the race was over, Blaney revealed that the hit on Chastain was on purpose. Obviously, he was mad at Ross Chastain. But did Ross Chastain care at all?

During a post-race press conference, Ross Chastain smiled wide and said that he was not going to put Blaney into the wall but at the same time, he was not going to go easy on him. “I know he’s mad. And I don’t care,” said Chastain, “I did not care then, I do not care now. I’m here to race him, I’m not going to wreck him and I gave him the bottom most times.”

“Only time I was inside of him was after he got by me, I crossed back over into three and I made sure to wrap the bottom like I’m not going to slide up and pinch him at all. He gets angry, it’s okay. I’ve known him for a decade,” he added.

Watch this story: The Unspoken Regret of a NASCAR Legend

While the duo seemed to be going at it, Chastain isn’t really taking too much pressure! After all, a final race win does outweigh everything else!

Read more: “Oh, He Is Angry”: Ross Chastain Mocks Ryan Blaney After 2023 Champ’s Intentional Retaliation Admission