The “Watermelon Man” is hoping to smash his way to victory at Darlington in April (AUDIO)

NASCAR driver Ross Chastain’s colorful nickname has deep family roots. Known as the “Watermelon Man,” Chastain is part of eight generations of Florida watermelon farmers, and he’s taken that heritage to the racetrack, especially to “Victory Lane.”

“When I got into NASCAR, the AG industry is what was sponsoring me; that’s what was funding my career,” Chastain explained. “That first race in Las Vegas that we won in 2018, we had no plan to smash it. Someone asked what I was going to do with it in the media center, and I said, ‘I don’t know, bust it open and eat it.’ We went out on the front stretch a couple of hours after the race … and the tradition was born.”

Chastain dropped by Darlington Raceway on Wednesday to meet with the media and preview next month’s “Goodyear 400” as part of NASCAR’s official “Throwback Weekend” at Darlington.

Ross Chastain — Darlington Media Availabilty