‘I was gonna be a watermelon farmer’: Ross Chastain’s journey to the Daytona 500

DAYTONA, Fla. (WGHP) — Ross Chastain was going to be a watermelon farmer, but now he’s among the betting favorites to win on NASCAR’s grandest stage.

WGHP’s Kevin Connolly and Danny Harnden and WFLA’s JB Biunno spent Wednesday afternoon catching up with drivers as they get ready to hit the speedway this Sunday for the Daytona 500.

Chastain, of Alva, Florida, drives the No. 1 Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing. He has five full seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series behind him. Before that, however, Chastain was just a casual fan, taking in the sport just like anyone else.

“I actually didn’t dream about racing in it, because I was just a casual race fan,” Chastain said when asked about growing up so close to the Daytona 500. “I was gonna be a watermelon farmer. That’s what I was gonna do.”

Chastain is far from those humble beginnings now. He finished ninth in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series.

“Once I started racing at 12 years old. That’s where the light turned on,” Chastain said. “I want to be a race car driver. I want to beat the guys that I’ve watched. I want to race against them and beat them.”

Chastain still remembers those early days and even incorporates them into his victory celebrations.

“The early days of my career were funded by the watermelon industry,” Chastain said.

Now he’s known for his iconic watermelon-smashing celebrations.

This will be his sixth Daytona 500.

DraftKings puts his odds of winning the 2024 championship at 14-1.