Fast Facts: Ross Chastain

credit: NASCAR via Getty Images/
Todd Warshaw

Ross Chastain, driving the No. 92 BTS/National Watermelon Association Ford F-150 for Ricky Benton Racing in the Camping World Truck Series on a part-time basis in 2014, is a third-generation race car driver, but his family has been doing something else even longer. Find out what the Chastains are known for in this week’s Fast Facts.

• Ross Chastain was born Dec. 4, 1992 in Alva, Florida. He is an eighth-generation watermelon farmer who graduated from Riverdale High School in Fort Myers. His grandfather, Jim Prevatt, his father Ralph and his younger brother Chad have also been race car drivers.
• Chastain’s racing career began at age 12 on the local Florida short tracks, racing late models and in the Fastruck Series. In his Florida-based career, he has over 50 feature wins, Fastruck championships in 2007 (Fastkids) and 2008 (Fastruck and Fastruck 6 Pack), the 2008 Late Model championship from Punta Gorda Speedway, the 2010 Orlando Speedworld Late Model championship and the 2011 World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Auto Racing Late Model championship from New Smyrna Speedway.
• Chastain made his NASCAR touring series debut in 2011 in the Truck Series, racing to a 10^th-place finish at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis. In 2012, he competed full-time in the series for SS-Green Light Racing, earning a top finish of third at Bristol and finishing 17^th in points. He competed in 15 races for Brad Keselowski Racing in 2013, earning runner-up finishes in Iowa and Phoenix on his way to an 18^th-place finish in points.
• Learn more about Chastain at his website, www.rosschastain.com.