CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Ross Chastain stood on top of his No. 1 Chevrolet in his white fire suit and held a watermelon above his head as the crowd at the Charlotte Motor Speedway roared with delight in anticipation.
Then, with sense of ferocity, Chastain slammed it to the track, smashing it to pieces.
Chastain began smashing watermelon as a way to uniquely honor his family’s legacy as eighth-generation watermelon farmers. The tradition began after his first NASCAR Cup Series race and has continued after every win as his own unique way to celebrate his strong ties to watermelon farming.
But this win was extra special, his first at crown jewel event.
“This thing is fresh from Florida,” Chastain said with a laugh. “It just came up from our family farm. Man, for the Florida watermelon industry, that’s your watermelons you’re getting right now, so y’all better go buy a dang watermelon to celebrate. I want to see videos of smashed watermelons flood the socials. I want to see it. Florida watermelons are in season.”
Chastain passed two-time Daytona 500 winner William Byron with six laps left and won the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway, capping a remarkable comeback and becoming the first driver to win the event after starting at the back of the field.
NASCAR said he’s the first driver to win from an official starting position of last since Bobby Allison at the Richmond Fairgrounds in 1969.
William Byron won the first three stages and led 283 laps, but surrendered the lead to Chastain, who started in 40th place and led just eight laps in his first NASCAR Cup Series victory of the year.
It was a huge boost to Trackhouse Racing, and a bitter disappointment for Byron, the Charlotte native who had signed a four-year contract extension Friday with Hendrick Motorsports. Byron has finished in the top three in the last three Coca-Cola 600s without winning.
Chastain said his crew stayed up all night to build him another car after a crash in practice on Saturday.
“To drive on that final run in the 600 and pass two cars that had been better than me all night, wow,” said Chastain, who celebrated by standing on his car and slamming a watermelon down on the track as has become his tradition following a victory. “Holy cow! We just won the 600.”
Chastain said the plan was the fix the original car after the wreck, but NASCAR intervened. It might have been a good thing they did.
“We thought we were going to have to fix the primary and NASCAR said, no, there is something bent (so) go build another one,” Chastain said. “That’s how we did that.”
Chastain’s crew chief, Phil Surgen, said it was “deflating” when a tire went down and Chastain crashed during practice because their original car had been running so well, finishing fastest among the field in 10-, 15- and 20-lap averages
But he said more than 30 employees came into the nearby race shop to work on the car, with nearly a dozen staying until 2:30 a.m. to get it ready to race. The car they used was slated to be a backup car at the Nashville race, but didn’t have an engine and needed several other additions.
“This group of guys I have got is relentless and no doubt everybody was going to give it their best,” Surgen said. “Guys were at concerts and ballgames and dropped what they were doing to come in and help.”
Trackhouse Racing owner Justin Marks called it a “master class” effort by the team.
Byron left the track disappointed over his inability to maintain the lead.
“He was catching me and I was trying to defend and I was getting a little tight,” Byron said. “He got a run on me and was able to get to the bottom of the track off of two. It’s disappointing to lead that many laps.”
Byron became the first driver to sweep the first three stages at NASCAR’s longest race, but found himself in a battle with Denny Hamlin the final 100 laps. They exchanged lead a few times before both drivers pitted with 52 laps for one final fill up on gas.
But Hamlin didn’t get enough fuel in his car and would have to pit again, falling out of contention. He would finish 16th.
Chastain, running in a backup car, ran down Byron for his sixth Cup Series win and first crown jewel victory.
Pole-sitter Chase Briscoe finished third.
Kyle Larson’s day ended the way it started at the Indianapolis 500 — with a wreck.
Larson arrived at Charlotte Motor Speedway via helicopter more than an hour ahead of the start of the race after crashing out at the Indianapolis 500 in his failed second attempt to complete “The Double.”
In North Carolina, he started on the front row and ran out to the early lead before hitting the wall in Turn 3 on Lap 38.
A few laps later his car got loose, sending him spinning across the front straightaway and bringing out the race’s first caution flag. But Larson was able to regain control and prevent further damage to his No. 5 Chevrolet before heading to the pits for adjustments that forced him to the back of the field.
But Larson got caught up in a wreck involving Ryan Blaney, Chase Briscoe and Daniel Suarez, sending him behind the wall. He finished 37th.
Johnson makes early exit
Jimmie Johnson’s bid for a record-tying fifth Coca-Cola 600 victory ended early in the second stage when he hit the wall in Turn 4, causing severe damage to his No. 84 Toyota and knocking him out of the race. The seven-time Cup Series champion finished last.
“I made a rookie mistake,” Johnson said, who was making his 700th career Cup Series start. “The traffic situations are different with this car and I reacted in a way I shouldn’t have.”
Halftime tribute
Keeping with tradition, drivers pulled their cars down pit road to a complete stop for a moment of silence as part of the Memorial Day weekend tribute to “honor and remember” those service members who’ve lost their lives.
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