Ross Chastain
Known for his watermelon celebration and the infamous 2022 Martinsville wall ride, Chastain drives the No. 1 Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing with three Cup wins. The eighth-generation watermelon farmer from Florida became a fan favorite with his aggressive driving style.
About Ross Chastain
Ross Chastain became a household name with one wall ride at Martinsville in 2022, but the Alva, Florida watermelon farmer turned Cup Series winner had been building toward that moment his entire life. With six wins across 200 Cup starts, Chastain's journey from underfunded rides and near-career-ending setbacks to Trackhouse Racing's flagship driver is one of NASCAR's most compelling underdog stories. Chastain spent years racing for teams that could barely afford to unload the hauler, learning racecraft through sheer necessity and developing a toughness that serves him well in the rough-and-tumble world of Cup competition. When the opportunity at Trackhouse arrived, he seized it with both hands and never let go. His driving style is fearless bordering on reckless, and that aggression has made him one of the most polarizing figures in the garage. Competitors either respect his never-back-down mentality or find themselves frustrated by his willingness to make contact. Either way, nobody ignores Ross Chastain. Beyond Cup, Chastain's experience in Xfinity and Trucks across 200 combined starts added layers to his racecraft that serve him in traffic and on restarts. The kid who smashed watermelons in celebration has become a legitimate contender, and his story is far from over.
Written by Richard R. Glover, NASCAR Reference
Driver Profile 
Career Highlights
- 6 career Cup wins
Prime years: 2022-2024 (avg score: 53/100)
9 Cup Series seasons analyzed
Performance Profile
2026 Season
Best Tracks
Ross Chastain's best track is Kansas Speedway with 2 wins and a 15.6 average finish in 29 races.
| Track | Races | Avg Finish |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas Speedway | 29 | 15.6 |
| Charlotte Motor Speedway | 28 | 17.3 |
| Circuit of the Americas | 7 | 10.3 |
| Nashville Superspeedway | 10 | 14.7 |
| Las Vegas Motor Speedway | 31 | 15.2 |
Recent Results
Ross Chastain's most recent 20 race results across multiple series.
| Date | Series | Race | Start | Finish | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 15 | Cup | Cook Out 400 | 18 | 12 | +6 |
| Aug 9 | Cup | Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol | 9 | 7 | +2 |
| Aug 8 | O'Reilly | NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series Race at Iowa | 2 | 4 | -2 |
| Jul 26 | Cup | Brickyard 400 | 22 | 23 | -1 |
| Jul 25 | O'Reilly | NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series Race at Indianapolis | 8 | 3 | +5 |
| Jul 19 | Cup | Window World 450 | 13 | 27 | -14 |
| Jul 12 | Cup | Quaker State 400 | 9 | 12 | -3 |
| Jul 5 | Cup | NASCAR Cup Series Race at Chicagoland | 19 | 18 | +1 |
| Jun 28 | Cup | Toyota / Save Mart 350 | 5 | 14 | -9 |
| Jun 27 | O'Reilly | Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250 | 15 | 37 | -22 |
| Jun 21 | Cup | Anduril 250 | 23 | 7 | +16 |
| Jun 14 | Cup | Great American Getaway 400 presented by VISITPA | 24 | 8 | +16 |
| Jun 7 | Cup | FireKeepers Casino 400 | 32 | 16 | +16 |
| Jun 6 | Trucks | DQS Solutions & Staffing 250 | 15 | 17 | -2 |
| May 31 | Cup | Cracker Barrel 400 | 35 | 37 | -2 |
| May 29 | Trucks | Flote 200 | 21 | 4 | +17 |
| May 24 | Cup | Coca-Cola 600 | 27 | 35 | -8 |
| May 16 | O'Reilly | BetRivers 200 | 1 | 13 | -12 |
| May 15 | Trucks | ECOSAVE 200 | 8 | 18 | -10 |
| May 10 | Cup | Go Bowling at The Glen | 4 | 27 | -23 |
Year-by-Year Results
Ross Chastain has competed in 30 combined seasons, with a career average finish of 16.5.
| Season | Series | Races | Wins | Avg Start | Avg Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Cup | 25 | 0 | 18.44 | 19.12 |
| 2026 | O'Reilly | 9 | 0 | 17.00 | 10.89 |
| 2026 | Trucks | 7 | 0 | 17.14 | 12.14 |
| 2025 | Cup | 35 | 1 | 19.20 | 15.40 |
| 2025 | O'Reilly | 5 | 0 | 10.80 | 11.60 |
| 2025 | Trucks | 5 | 0 | 11.20 | 14.60 |
| 2024 | Cup | 36 | 1 | 15.81 | 14.94 |
| 2024 | O'Reilly | 4 | 0 | 23.25 | 13.50 |
| 2024 | Trucks | 5 | 1 | 11.40 | 7.40 |
| 2023 | Cup | 36 | 2 | 15.58 | 15.00 |
| 2023 | O'Reilly | 7 | 0 | 18.57 | 18.71 |
| 2023 | Trucks | 7 | 0 | 16.71 | 14.00 |
| 2022 | Cup | 36 | 2 | 14.42 | 13.25 |
| 2022 | O'Reilly | 5 | 0 | 12.20 | 13.80 |
| 2022 | Trucks | 5 | 1 | 13.40 | 13.20 |
| 2021 | Cup | 36 | 0 | 19.78 | 18.61 |
| 2021 | O'Reilly | 1 | 0 | 2.00 | 30.00 |
| 2021 | Trucks | 4 | 0 | 30.25 | 16.75 |
| 2020 | Cup | 8 | 0 | 26.13 | 21.88 |
| 2020 | O'Reilly | 33 | 0 | 7.70 | 8.24 |
| 2020 | Trucks | 9 | 0 | 19.11 | 11.11 |
| 2019 | Cup | 35 | 0 | 33.57 | 28.20 |
| 2019 | O'Reilly | 19 | 1 | 13.00 | 14.58 |
| 2019 | Trucks | 23 | 3 | 10.70 | 8.61 |
| 2018 | Cup | 34 | 0 | 31.76 | 28.44 |
| 2018 | O'Reilly | 33 | 1 | 16.97 | 15.27 |
| 2018 | Trucks | 7 | 0 | 17.71 | 20.86 |
| 2017 | Cup | 2 | 0 | 34.00 | 29.00 |
| 2017 | O'Reilly | 33 | 0 | 21.73 | 19.52 |
| 2017 | Trucks | 7 | 0 | 16.71 | 16.00 |
Season Performance Stats
NASCAR loop data: avg running position, pass differential, driver rating, and more (2007-2022 Cup Series).
| Year | Rating | Avg Start | Avg Finish | Avg Run Pos | Pass Diff | Fast Laps | Laps Led % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 93.60 | 14.40 | 13.30 | 12.10 | +119 | 447 | 7.30% |
| 2021 | 74.00 | 19.80 | 18.60 | 17.80 | +27 | 121 | 0.70% |
| 2020 | 59.70 | 26.10 | 22.00 | 21.80 | +23 | 13 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 38.80 | 33.60 | 28.20 | 31.30 | +124 | 80 | 0.10% |
| 2018 | 39.80 | 31.80 | 28.40 | 30.40 | +172 | 22 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 40.60 | 34.00 | 29.00 | 31.70 | -12 | 5 | 0.00% |
NR-Rating Elo Ratings
Related Drivers
| Name | Relation |
|---|---|
| Connor Zilisch | Teammate |
| Shane van Gisbergen | Teammate |
| Anthony Alfredo | Same Mfr |
| Justin Allgaier | Same Mfr |
| A.J. Allmendinger | Same Mfr |
| Tyler Ankrum | Same Mfr |
| Josh Bilicki | Same Mfr |
| Alex Bowman | Same Mfr |
| Spencer Boyd | Same Mfr |
| Jeb Burton | Same Mfr |
| William Byron | Same Mfr |
| Rajah Caruth | Same Mfr |