The Chastain family might have built its name in the watermelon fields of Florida, but the clan’s competitive streak has ripened far beyond the farm. Ross Chastain made his way to NASCAR through his driving skills, and his younger brother Chad is following suit, confirming that talent runs deep in both soil and speed. Long before Ross became a household name in the Cup Series, Chad saw the writing on the wall back in 2010, when he himself was just 12 years old, as he saw his elder brother already outpacing expectations.
Ross’s NASCAR journey began the following year, debuting in the Craftsman Truck Series with Turn One Racing in 2011, and he made his Cup debut in 2017. But even before that, the future Front Row Motorsports driver was turning heads in Late Models, piling up more wins. Watching from the pits, Chad had no doubt his older brother was destined for greatness.
“I knew he could get there (become a superstar) in 2010,” Chad said in a 2022 interview, recalling those formative days. “We were running late models all around Florida and beating teams and drivers that had way more than we ever did and way more support and just way more manpower.”
“It was Ross, my dad, our granddads, both helping when they could, and just a couple of friends from back home that I went to high school with. And that’s kind of how, when we were winning races then, I knew he could get here. It was just a matter of finding the right opportunity.”
That small-town struggle shaped both brothers into racers who fight above their weight class. So when Ross made headlines for his on-track clashes, especially with Denny Hamlin, Chad wasn’t fazed. For him, it was just part of the sport’s rough-and-tumble rhythm. It didn’t bother him or Ross.
Currently, Chad splits his time between the family watermelon farm and chasing his own racing ambitions. Like Ross once did, he’s earning his stripes on Florida’s local circuits while gradually stepping up the national ladder.
His NASCAR Truck Series debut came in 2021 at Watkins Glen, driving a Niece Motorsports entry after Ross was ruled ineligible under Cup driver restrictions, though he finished 34th.
In 2022, he made three more Truck starts with Niece, splitting time between the No. 41 and No. 44 trucks. He finished 30th at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Richmond, and Homestead, and 34th at Texas. The next year, Chad attempted to qualify for two more Truck races at Pocono and IRP, but narrowly missed the cut.
However, he broke through in the Xfinity Series, making four starts at Atlanta, Dover, Nashville, and Pocono, finishing 24th, 32nd, 29th, and 30th, respectively. While his results may not yet mirror Ross’s, Chad’s journey feels familiar.
