Ross Chastain celebrated a landmark victory at the Coca-Cola 600 by smashing a watermelon in tribute to his family’s farming roots, thrilling the crowd at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday.

Clad in his white fire suit, Chastain climbed atop his No. 1 Chevrolet, held a fresh watermelon high above his head, and then slammed it to the ground, shattering it amid cheers.

The tradition honours his family’s legacy as eighth-generation watermelon farmers, a ritual he began after his first NASCAR Cup Series race and has continued with every win.

“This thing is fresh from Florida,” Chastain joked. “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. Florida watermelons are in season.”

Chastain’s win marked his first victory at a crown jewel event.

Starting from 40th position, he mounted a stunning comeback to pass two-time Daytona 500 winner William Byron with six laps remaining.

NASCAR confirmed Chastain is the first driver since Bobby Allison in 1969 to claim a win starting officially from the rear of the field.

Byron had dominated much of the race, winning the first three stages and leading 283 laps.

However, the Charlotte native, who had just signed a four-year contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports, saw his bid for a first Coca-Cola 600 win slip away.

Byron finished second after a strong performance, continuing his streak of top-three finishes in the event without a victory.

Chastain’s team had worked through the night to prepare a backup car following a crash in Saturday’s practice.

“To drive on that final run in the 600 and pass two cars that had been better than me all night, wow,” Chastain said. “Holy cow! We just won the 600.”

Originally planning to fix the wrecked car, Chastain acknowledged that NASCAR’s decision to require the backup may have been a blessing in disguise.

The victory gave a major boost to Trackhouse Racing and showcased Chastain’s resilience and determination in one of NASCAR’s most prestigious races.