Our company was founded when two third-generation watermelon companies joined forces to better serve customers. It was incredible. While you're here you can visit Harbes Barnyard Adventure for hours of family fun! The "wall-riding" move was widely commented upon in the media. Red Sox's Masataka Yoshida Has New Favorite Food, Bill Belichick Poses With Country Music Star Ahead Of Patriots Training Camp, Denny Hamlin After Controversial Win: They Can Boo My Rock Out Here, Kyle Larson Takes Shot At Denny Hamlin After Wreck: Dennys Always Right, Austin Dillon Fires Helmet At Tyler Reddick After NASCAR Wreck, Retire Or Continue Racing? Ross Chastain started the NASCAR season with one watermelon and it traveled with him from track to track. The 29-year-old then snagged a chunk of broken watermelon off the Circuit of the Americas asphalt and took a hearty bite. Do. [92] He finished third at the Phoenix finale and a career-best second place in the points standings. He has been operating his own farm since 1992. [82] Chastain drove the No. [8], On October 6, 2018, it was reported that Chastain had agreed to drive the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season with Premium Motorsports, and a deal with Chip Ganassi Racing for more Xfinity races was likely. [99] A rule change on January 31, 2023 officially made such moves illegal and subject to a time penalty. [8], Leaving BKR after the 2013 season, Chastain moved to RBR Enterprises for a part-time schedule in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for 2014. Ross Chastain continues to have his sights on his second-seeded spot in the NASCAR Cup Series standings, but the Florida native knows theres plenty more going on off the track, including in his home of Lee County. Some of my cousins and uncles and different parts of the family are just finishing up in Delaware and out in Kentucky. It was just like, OK, lets do something more. But we always had one because I was always knew I wanted to have it in Victory Lane. [4] Even those races, at tracks like Citrus County Speedway, Auburndale Speedway and DeSoto Speedway, were run on a tight budget, a theme that would carry on to much of Chastain's career in the higher ranks of NASCAR. The farm runs just fine without me, so when I come back, right now Im the low man on the totem pole, Chastain joked. 7 car, the second car for Premium Motorsports, at the Cup series season finale at Homestead, but the team withdrew. Its pretty crazy.. Ross Lee Chastain (born December 4, 1992)[1] is an American professional stock car racing driver. Trackhouse Racing driver Ross Chastain talks about the upcoming Chicago Street Race and going from a small . In my dads words, this is the worst storm hes ever seen. Chastain takes pride in his farming roots, earning him the nickname "The Watermelon Man" because he smashes a watermelon in victory lane after a win. [61] On January 31, Chastain announced he would return to the No. 66 Turn One Racing entry in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series after Justin Marks vacated the seat. [35] Chastain also returned to the truck series at Iowa on an off week for the Cup Series and a companion race with the Xfinity Series, driving the No. 45 Chevrolet driver about watermelons. It. in a play on the famous Nike slogan. The Chastain family initially settled in Georgia until Chastains great-grandfather relocated to Punta Gorda, Fla. J.D.I. 42 entry for races at Darlington Raceway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Richmond Raceway. We stuck with it, for better or worse, and every generation has stayed with it.. Harvesting them and watching them leave in semis. Alva's Ross Chastain to fill in for Ryan Newman for Sunday's NASCAR Cup Race at Las Vegas, Daytona 500: Riverdale grad Ross Chastain fails to finish after crashing late in race, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Im just the one that gets to talk about it now, but I think for farmers and small racers everywhere, this is a big win., Copyright 2023, News Tribune Publishing. Susan Chastain is a traveling nurse and nervously paced around the Trackhouse pit stall Sunday holding her breath as her son closed out his first win. [2] He also drove the No. If you work in almost any other field of work and its outside, you wait until it stops, and you go. It. in a play on the famous Nike slogan. Later in the same race, Chastain ran into Chase Elliott, causing him to spin. 41 Chevrolet Silverado for Niece Motorsports. Really before that, 12 generations ago they were farming, but back then everybody farmed. We live load most of the time. [79], Chastain failed to qualify for the Xfinity season opener at Daytona after mechanical issues plagued his car. [62] In his first race with Niece, Chastain began the season with a third-place finish in the 2019 NextEra Energy 250. The eighth generation watermelon farmer from Florida did not call home and ask his family to send a fresh melon to Austin, Texas, for the first road course of the season. Ross Chastain (45) battles Harrison Burton during a NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway. I didnt see it coming, didnt plan for any of this, but nobody did, Chastain said. The collapse of the company came just days after Pitbull had been hired by DC Solar to play its Christmas party; Chastain now drives for Trackhouse, a team co-owned by Pitbull. Not as much, no. The eighth generation watermelon farmer from Florida did not call home and ask his family to send a fresh melon to Austin, Texas, for the first road course of the season. Click OK to continue, or Cancel to return to www.watermelon.org. DC Solar, instrumental in Chastain's introduction to the team, remained on as sponsor. [38] Chastain hopped in the Premium Motorsports No. When Chastain isn't racing and working on racecars, he can be found working tirelessly on his family's watermelon farm, JDI Farms, in southwest Florida. He leveraged that to help him work his way into NASCAR with multiple organizations, including the National Watermelon Association, sponsoring his ride over the years. Chip Ganassi then responded on Twitter, defending Chastain's performance and stating that he "helped himself to many future opportunities". Crop insurance doesnt exist for watermelon farmers in Florida, Chastain said, and that has limited the number of production farms to less than 10. 2 on charts after music video controversy, The Big Peanut once again reigns at the roadside in Georgia, after hurricane felled earlier goober. The Melon1 Story - Melon1. David Yeazell/USA TODAY Sports Images, Sox Transactions, Trades, and Free Agents, Former Red Sox Outfielder DFA'd For Second Time This Season, Alex Cora Reveals Red Sox Injury That Could Delay 'Tough Decision', Patriots Division Rival Reportedly Loses RB To Season-Ending Knee Injury, Boston Influence? We just finished Georgia watermelon season. Well, I dont want to leave Victory Lane, and Ill stay there as long as theyll let me. [68] Chastain's team appealed the penalty, though it was eventually upheld after a hearing with National Motorsports Appeals panelist Bryan Moss. I knew companies, and I went to them and said, I want to be the farmer in NASCAR, and they liked it. Germination occurs in a couple of days, when seeds are planted in 95F (35C) and can take a week, when planted in 70F (21.1C). He also has a particularly distinct celebration move: He smashes a watermelon on the start-finish line or in Victory Lane or sometimes both. Maybe that, more than any watermelon-smashing show, is what . Know Your 704 Shopping NASCAR & Auto Racing Meet Ross Chastain, 'just a watermelon farmer' driving NASCAR's No. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of News Tribune Publishing. Our family farm is ready for harvest! Ive gotta go smash it. I just want people to remember it and think of [agriculture] and watermelons when they see me. J.D.I Farms began when his great-grandfather finished his military. We sell mainly 12- to 18-pound watermelons. [25] Chastain blamed the confrontation on Gaughan, saying the Richard Childress Racing driver attacked him, but also acknowledged that he races hard and does not play favorites. Chastain carried that slice of watermelon through all his victory obligations, a true symbol of how far he's come in his career. [50] In a post-race media conference, he admitted to getting emotional in the closing laps of the race due to the gravity of the win. So did racing. A 22ndplace finish in the season opener preceded amore unusual night in the Cup Series' crown jewel, the Daytona 500. Fortunately for Chastain, who graduated from Riverdale High in Fort Myers before attending Florida Gulf Coast University, hes received the all-clear from his family. 1 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Trackhouse Racing, part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. [104] Chastain attended Florida Gulf Coast University for a semester before he began racing in the Truck Series.[103]. 15 truck for the World of Westgate 200 and finished seventh, Premium's best-ever finish across all three NASCAR national series. Early in the race, Chastain ran into Hamlin's back bumper, causing Hamlin to spin and sustain damage to his car. As soon as his interviews were finished, he jumped on a plane and went from Delaware to Charlotte and down to RSW. The Board is not responsible for the quality, safety, completeness, accuracy or nature of the content of the linked website. [65] He nearly spun out with 20 laps to go but saved the truck, later inheriting the lead from Stewart Friesen after he ran out of fuel. If that opportunity did not arise, Chastain was set to replace another driver that weekend, John Wes Townley in the No. I sit here, and I look at this (watermelon) and I think back to the stories of our family, Chastain said after his aggressive battle with former teammate AJ Allmendinger on the final lap of overtime earned him and Trackhouse Racing their first victories. 2023 Watermelon.org | All rights reserved. He is the older brother of fellow NASCAR driver Chad Chastain. Susan Chastain is a traveling nurse and nervously paced around the Trackhouse pit stall Sunday holding her breath as her son closed out his first win. Mattituck, NY 11952. harbesfamilyfarm.com. In his 121st career start, Chastain finally got to climb atop a Cup car and spike a watermelon from the roof of his Chevrolet in victory celebration. [103] He is a graduate of Riverdale High School in Fort Myers. [40] The races came at the expense of John Hunter Nemechek, who could not sell sponsorship for the races. [18] In the race with HRE, Chastain finished twelfth, which was to that point the team's best finish in NASCAR competition. Newman returned to the No. Within days, footage of the move received more than 100 million views on Twitter and other social media.[100]. The eighth generation watermelon farmer from Florida did not call home and ask his family to send a fresh melon to Austin, Texas, for the first road course of the season. iRacing is a virtual racing platform that NASCAR has tapped into for drivers and teams to bring to the public while a return to the tracks is for the moment anticipated for May 9 at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia. "I never thoughtyou know no one. Bob Stewart has been farming since 1998. J.D.I Farms began when his great-grandfather finished his military commitment and has been passed down several generations. So its harvested in the field at say, 11 a.m., put it in a school bus, haul it to our packing house, which is within 20 miles usually. As he looked down at the smashed slice of watermelon that represented his Cup win, Chastain was able to find parallels in the family business and his own difficult climb to NASCARs top levels. In the late 1800s, a . It got close to ours and our neighbors, but we were safe.". It started eight generations ago. The fruit lasted five weeks before The Watermelon Man had to freshen his supply. With three top-10's and sittingin fifth in the Xfinity standings through four races,Chastain was preparing for the race weekend in Atlanta before NASCAR ceased operations March 16. Yeah too much. [101] Chastain scored his first win of the season at Nashville. 10 entry. The J.D.I., by the way, stands for Just. Need help finding something? Hes now got a spot in the 16-driver playoff field and goes to Richmond for Sundays race ranked a career-best fifth in the standings. His trajectory has been a series of starts, stops and sponsorship searches. Connect with us here. This caused Hamlin, who was running in the top-five, to fall to the back of the pack. Through the midpoint of the 2022 season he has scored two victories at Circuit of the Americas and Talladega Superspeedway along with 8 top-5 and 11 top-10 finishes while leading 426 laps. A native of Alva, Florida, Chastain was a watermelon farmer on his family's farm until he turned thirteen. "[46], "No matter what happens, if I go back to the farm tomorrow which I'm going to do one day after racing's over, if I had to back tomorrow I'll have no regrets, obviously. My dad and uncle became old enough to farm on their own. [70], Chastain won the 2019 Circle K Firecracker 250 at Daytona driving the No. Sign up here to receive the monthly What About Watermelon? At the restart, Elliott pushed Chastain towards the wall while Hamlin made a tight pass to once again express his frustration. My food comes from the grocery store, and our watermelons for NASCAR Cup Series victories do, too.. Watermelons thrive when planted and grown with temperatures ranging between 70F and 85F (21.1C and 29.4C), but still handle temperatures of 90F (32.2C). [75], Chastain would earn his second top-five of 2019 when he finished second to Christopher Bell at Texas Motor Speedway in November, leading 29 laps. [90] At the 2022 NASCAR All-Star Race, Chastain finished 22nd after going airborne from colliding with Kyle Busch, taking Chase Elliott out in the process. Ross Chastain is one of the most promising up-and-coming NASCAR drivers, and hes been fighting for his place among the top-3 series for years. His trajectory has been a series of starts, stops and sponsorship searches. [97] Overtaken rival Hamlin described it as a "great move", adding that "when you have no other choice, it certainly is easy to do that. My dad and brother and uncle are already getting our field for next year ready. Ross Chastain started the NASCAR season with one watermelon and it traveled with him from track to track. On September 21, 2020, Chip Ganassi Racing announced that Chastain would replace Matt Kenseth in the No. We have no safety net. Jason Aldeans Try That in a Small Town is experiencing exponential growth following controversy over its music video. About 50,000 pounds per load. Chastain envisioned the 2020 season as one where he could emerge as a championship contender in the Xfinity Series in a full-time ride with Kaulig Racing and the Nutrien Ag No. Ross Chastain started the NASCAR season with one watermelon and it traveled with him from track to track. pic.twitter.com/lPdotkdYiU, FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) June 23, 2019. He headed to the store. The Board provides this link as a convenience to you; the link should not be considered an endorsement by the Board of the third-party website or the company who owns it. As he looked down at the smashed slice of watermelon that represented his Cup win, Chastain was able to find parallels in the family business and his own difficult climb to NASCARs top levels. Copper's mom wandered up to the Chastain family farm at Christmastime in 2015; she gave birth to a litter before the new year. The watermelon has long inspired artists, such as Giuseppe Recco's Still Life With Fruit (1634-1695).The first color sketches of the red-fleshed, sweet watermelon in Europe can be found in a . [63] At his first ever Daytona 500, Chastain scored his first career top-ten in the Cup Series despite starting 36th in the race. Please call us directly. His season got off to an unusual start at Daytona as his Xfinity car failed to qualify with a mechanical issue but he would get into the race when fellow driver Jeff Green gave Chastain his seat. But all it would take would be a little time which is something the family knows all about. [8] Chastain logged four top-tens on the year, ninth in the season-opening PowerShares QQQ 300, tenth at the other Daytona race, tenth at Iowa, and tenth at Darlington, and got into an altercation with Ryan Reed after a race at Richmond International Raceway. Yeah, between 45,000 and 50,000 pounds of watermelons go on a semi. I dont know how to process it yet. Working through the details of it, it was kind of the same call twice, one for real life and the other for eSports. Really before that, 12 generations ago they were farming, but back then everybody farmed. 91 Chevrolet Camaro for DGM Racing, and part-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 15 at the fall Dover race, finishing 38th. When Chastain was informed about how serious Roush Fenway Racing wanted him to approach this new venture, it rivaled the phone call he received when they inquired about him coming aboard to spell Newman as he recovered from his injuries. [87] In May, he reunited with SS-Green Light Racing to drive their No. The easy life out of school would have been to come to the farm and work and he chose the path of I want to go do something different and I want to go racing, Chad said. When he finally hit the jackpot with the promise of full-season backing from DC Solar, the FBI raided the business in a Ponzi scheme investigation. Why Does Ross Chastain Smash Watermelons? All rights reserved. [12], In January 2013, it was announced that Chastain would drive in 15 Camping World Truck Series races in 2013 for Brad Keselowski Racing. Its just scary stuff. [44] During the third stage, Chastain was battling for the race lead with Kevin Harvick with thirty-five laps to go. [36] Chastain had previously met the CEO of DC Solar at Auto Club Speedway in 2018, and plans materialized from there. From a watermelon farm in Alva to a winner in NASCAR's highest series Ross Chastain broke through Sunday after back-to-back second place finishes to win his first career race. Follow Ross here on Instagram (and look for watermelon!). [80] In the Daytona 500, Chastain was involved in a late wreck with Ryan Preece that took him out of the race.[81]. Rosss success didnt come easy. Chastain carried that slice of watermelon through all his victory obligations, a true symbol of how far hes come in his career. Twelve minutes later, NASCAR Cup Series driver Ross Chastain was still talking watermelons. [55] On November 9, 2018, Chastain and CGR announced a full season in the No. Theyve grown the farm to an incredible spot, Chastain said. Chastain attended Florida Gulf Coast University for a semester before he began racing in the Truck Series. [32][33] He started off the Xfinity season with a top-ten at Daytona International Speedway,[34] and ran his first Cup race of 2018 the week after at Atlanta Motor Speedway. My dad and uncle became old enough to farm on their own. [2] In May, he announced he would make his debut in the Nationwide Series (now Xfinity Series) at Charlotte Motor Speedway, driving the No. The family has five full-time employees so yes, Chastain has to farm when hes home in Florida and an outside crew is used for planting, watering and harvesting. Chastain accepted fault for the incidents saying, "I just drove over my head so many times". Follow us for more recipes, tips andtricks. Chastain, an eighth generation watermelon farmer, acknowledged how others have been impacted in that aspect, as well. He is a graduate of Riverdale High School in Fort Myers. Harbes Farm And Vineyard. Its a very small number of people in the world that grow the crops that feed this world, and feed this population worldwide, so its a thankless job for the farmers. Ive dedicated everything and put all my eggs into the racing basket for right now and I wake up every morning and I think about race cars and how to make them go faster and how to pay for them, Chastain said. He leveraged that to help him. It stopped yesterday afternoon. "It kept me out of trouble," he said. 44 Truck team's appeal post-Iowa", "Ross Chastain's Iowa disqualification upheld after appeal", "Ross Chastain comes back from Iowa DQ with win at Gateway", "Ross Chastain wins wild Daytona Xfinity race in Kaulig 1-2-3", "Allmendinger disqualified after third-place finish at Daytona", "NASCAR Pocono Truck race results: Ross Chastain cruises to third victory", "Justin Allgaier, Ross Chastain 'Rocky Relationship' Comes to a Peak at Watkins Glen", "CarShield to sponsor Ross Chastain throughout Truck playoffs", "Ross Chastain drives No. The family's watermelon farm in Punta Gorda, Fla., needed attention and since Ralph and Ross's brother, Chad, oversee the farm, one of them has to stay back to ensure work was getting done.. 77 in a partnership between Chip Ganassi Racing and Spire Motorsports. There are a lot of people who arent going to be sleeping in their homes tonight, Chastain added. Send us a quick message and well be in touch right away. I dont know how to process it yet. The family has five full-time employees so yes, Chastain has to farm when hes home in Florida and an outside crew is used for planting, watering and harvesting. In this exclusive interview, ESPN reporter Marty Smith talks with NASCAR driver and eighth-generation watermelon farmer Ross Chastain about his family's farm. Although some were surprised at how well Chastain ran in those races, Chastain instead said that the organization was better than the community gave it credit for. "We buy them at the grocery store, just like everybody else does," Chastain said. [56] However, after DC Solar was raided by the FBI on December 18, 2018, the team lost the sponsorship and shut down in January.[57][58][59][60]. Thats my favorite one. [6][7], After making the move to Charlotte in mid-2011, Chastain took over the No. [95], In October, Chastain qualified for the Championship 4 by a thin margin at Martinsville, where he, in tenth place on the last lap of the race, drove his car into the outside wall of the track in Turns 3 and 4 to pick up the unprecedented speed of up to 130 miles per hour (210km/h), overtaking Hamlin and four other drivers to finish in fifth place. Watermelons have rarely been highlighted the way they were Sunday when Chastain won his first career Cup race. I sit here, and I look at this (watermelon) and I think back to the stories of our family, Chastain said after his aggressive battle with former teammate AJ Allmendinger on the final lap of overtime earned him and Trackhouse Racing their first victories. and thats fine. Ross Chastain speaks Sunday during a post-race interview after winning the NASCAR Cup Series race at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. Ross Chastain is an 8th generation watermelon farmer from Alva, FL and often spends time working on the farm when he's not in the driver's seat. Newman's car was hit while in mid-air near the driver's compartment and he needed to be extricated from his car and would be hospitalized with his condition unknown for hours. During the spring, Chastain broke the all-time NASCAR record for most consecutive races run across all three national series to start a season, surpassing the mark of 22 set by Kyle Busch set in 2008. I am a competitor. Chastain has been on iRacing goingall the way back to when he was cutting his teeth racing in the Truck Series. Growing up, life was busy on the family farm. To return to www.watermelon.org, simply close the new browser window. The eighth generation watermelon farmer from Florida did not call home and ask his family to send a fresh melon to Austin, Texas, for the first road course of the season. After a trip to the NASCAR hauler, Gase called Chastain a "golden boy" and threatened to derail Chastain's playoff hopes. I recently had the chance to stop in at a farm in Arabi, Georgia to see our watermelons with the @NYSGTSC. 42 Chevrolet in 2021. We always have for a long time. Even though his dad Ralph Chastain may have missed his first win in Texas, he wouldnt miss his second career win at Talladega. [8] He finished 10th in that event. After clearing Finchum, Harvick slid up into Chastain who then slid up into the wall. Ross Chastain Salary Ross Chastain primary source of income is hi successful is stock car racing driver Career.He has won many championships.Chastain began the 2022 season with a 40th place finish at the 2022 Daytona 500 and a 29th place finish at Fontana. The eighth generation watermelon farmer from Florida did not call home and ask his family to send a fresh melon to Austin, Texas, for the first road course of the season. Chastain ran his first full Cup season with Chip Ganassi Racing last year, then landed the second seat at Trackhouse when it bought Ganassis NASCAR operation ahead of this season. His car was comparable to the performances of the JDM cars, which led to a deal in the offseason. If they dont know my name, as long as they know watermelons, I feel like thats good. [76], On October 15, 2019, it was announced that Chastain would be driving for Kaulig Racing full-time in the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series. September 21, 2022 Michael Massie One of the major storylines of NASCAR the past handful of years has been the meteoric rise of Ross Chastain, going from watermelon farmer to field filler to. [67], In June's M&M's 200 at Iowa, Chastain led 141 of 200 laps and swept the stages to score the win, but his truck failed post-race inspection and his victory was forfeited to Brett Moffitt under NASCAR's newly-introduced disqualification policy. Beep, beep! My food comes from the grocery store, and our watermelons for NASCAR Cup Series victories do, too.. Do. Chastain received the all-clear from his family. You have clicked on a link to a website maintained by a third party and are about to leave the National Watermelon Promotion Boards website. He was 18 when he made his debut in the Truck Series and although hes made 410 starts across NASCARs three national series, Chastain has run only eight full seasons since his 2011 debut. On February 19, 2020, Roush Fenway Racing announced Chastain would replace an injured Ryan Newman in the team's No.