Trackhouse Racing driver Ross Chastain and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth Continued Chastain’s Victory Celebration with an Iconic Watermelon Smash

Still reveling in his Memorial Day Weekend victory at the 66^th running of the Coca-Cola 600 on May 25 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Trackhouse Racing driver Ross Chastain took the celebration to the Pentagon Friday. The Coca-Cola 600 champion and his family toured the U.S. Department of Defense headquarters, visited with active-duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces and recounted Chastain’s historic race win with U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

Chastain was honored to meet and pay tribute to military members, as his family has a strong history of military service. Two of Chastain’s great-grandfathers and a great aunt served in World War II. His grandfather is also a veteran of the U.S. Army.

The Coca-Cola 600 champion demonstrated his trademark watermelon smash celebration on the Parade Field outside of the Pentagon with the Washington Monument in the background. He was joined by Secretary Hegseth -- who served as a Co-Grand Marshal at the Coca-Cola 600 – his wife, Jenny and their seven children.

“This was just an unbelievable day. I can’t even put it into words--what this city, the Pentagon and what it all means to our country,” said Chastain. “Winning the Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day Weekend now ties it all together for me from the sports side.”

“When we talked to Secretary Hegseth, it was incredible to hear their view of how NASCAR and events like the Coca-Cola 600 help them present a positive image of the military and the government. They do a lot of hard things, a lot of serious things, but they can also like NASCAR and come to a race. That’s the thing about live sports, it gives you a break from reality.”

Chastain’s determined performance in the race made quite an impression on the U.S. Secretary of Defense.

“The guy who started last in that race ended first. It was an awesome Memorial Day Weekend—honoring the troops, remembering those who'd given it all,” Hegseth stated. “And as Ross Chastain won the race, I thought, ‘we’ve got to win [at the Pentagon].’”

“To see all of the Secretary’s (Hegseth) kids---we even had one in a watermelon dress today, and it was so cool,” Chastain added. “To see their excitement for the watermelons, and obviously with my family’s history and what we do (watermelon farming), to be able to smash watermelons here near the front steps of the Pentagon is something my family will talk about for the rest of time. To do that is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I don’t think any other fruit has been out here!”

Chastain also brought the famed Bruton Smith Coca-Cola 600 trophy to the Pentagon. Several servicemen, servicewomen and Pentagon staff members met Chastain and posed for pictures with the iconic 65-pound bronze piston trophy.

Today’s celebration took place less than a month after one of the most memorable races in the Coca-Cola 600’s storied history. A crash in practice relegated Chastain to a 40^th-place starting position in NASCAR’s crown jewel event. After meticulously carving his way through the field, the Alva, Florida native chased down race leader William Byron in the closing laps to take the lead and pace the final six circuits, registering one of the most unforgettable victories in Charlotte Motor Speedway history.

The event marked the fourth consecutive Coca-Cola 600 sellout and the debut of Prime Video, NASCAR’s newest TV partner, which reported more than 2.7 million viewers tuned in for the spectacle.

Charlotte Motor Speedway’s next NASCAR race weekend is the Oct. 3-5 Bank of America ROVAL™ 400.  Tickets, camping and track passes for the NASCAR Playoff event are available at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com.