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Ross Chastain fought Martin Truex Jr. at Nashville to get his and Trackhouse's first victory of 2023. He took the lead early in the race, giving the Justin Marks-owned teams their first-ever pole position.
Martin Truex Jr. went after Ross Chastain throughout the final 30 laps, which made him nervous. The three-way fight between the two and William Byron in the last restart was equally noteworthy. Both drivers had a strong day, but the Ford garage was disappointed that none of their cars placed in the Top 10.
Chastain celebrated his victory with his well-known watermelon smash after waiting more than a year for it. When fans saw him back in victory lane, they were overjoyed and showered him with adoration. They also took over social media to share their reaction to Chastain smashing a watermelon.
Due to his aggressive racing style and recent slump, Ross Chastain has been the most divisive driver in NASCAR since the start of the 2023 season. Prior to the first Cup Series win of the season, Chastain had placed 29th, 22nd, 22nd, and 10th since taking sixth in Kansas in May.
Even without this win, Chastain would have qualified for the playoffs this fall, since he was only 24 points behind Turex before this win.
Why does Ross Chastain smash watermelon after a win?
Every time Ross Chastain enters Victory Lane, he follows a messy but rewarding routine that emphasizes his agricultural heritage and the source of his well-known nickname, "Watermelon Man."
In an interview, Ross Chastain explained why he smashes a watermelon after each of his victories. He said:
"So, my brother and I are eighth-generation watermelon farmers. I just wanted to raise agriculture up and use my platform to spotlight it when I had the opportunity, I thought of no better way than Victory Lane."
He added:
"The very first time I won in NASCAR, I just sat it down because I didn’t know what to do with it and actually a media member asked what I was going to do with it. I said, ‘I don’t know, probably just bust it open and eat it.’”
He said that the media member then asked about filming the smash, and Chastain had a blast doing it. The moment, he said, went viral on social media and has since been a tradition each time he enters Victory Lane.
