HAMPTON, Ga. (June 25, 2025) – Ross Chastain is known for two things: going really fast in his No. 1 Trackhouse Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series and his enthusiasm for the agriculture industry.
On Wednesday, the eighth-generation watermelon farmer saw his two passions come together at Southern Belle Farm in McDonough, Ga. — the source of EchoPark Speedway’s traditional Victory Lane peaches that each NASCAR race winner receives.
“Racing is a hobby that I turned into a career, but I was born into agriculture, so I grew up in fields,” said Chastain. “It’s so cool to see this farm thriving so close to the city and the people that come out to this agritourism venue.”
Chastain received a tour of the farm, picked the brains of its staff about their efforts to grow peaches and other crops, and then picked the peaches that will be given out after Saturday night’s Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart.
“Pulling (peaches) right off the tree — they taste pretty sweet,” Chastain said, adding, “But I figure they’re going to be even sweeter on Saturday night if we win.”
Since the track was reconfigured for the 2022 season, Chastain has scored a pair of runner-up finishes and four top-10s in seven starts at EchoPark Speedway. Once a skeptic, he is now a fan of the “new” EchoPark Speedway and embraces the challenge it provides as he pursues his first win in Atlanta.
“I was in the camp that it was good how it was and we didn’t need to mess with it, but I was wrong, and I’m man enough to admit that,” Chastain said. “It’s better now. The Smith Family and Speedway Motorsports have done an incredible job of taking a mile-and-a-half track and creating superspeedway-style drafting like Daytona and Talladega.”
Adding to the challenge is the introduction of NASCAR’s first-ever In-Season Tournament, which starts Saturday night at EchoPark Speedway. The bracket-style elimination tournament will see 32 drivers compete for a $1 million prize. As the 13th seed, Chastain is in a head-to-head matchup with 20th seed Erik Jones; whichever driver finishes better in that pairing will advance to the next round at the Chicago Street Course – the other will be eliminated.
Chastain said the added wrinkle of the In-Season Tournament hasn’t changed his approach to Saturday night’s race, “but I do know that if that 43 car is in front of me, I definitely don’t want to finish behind him.”
Chastain and the rest of the NASCAR Cup Series competitors will hit the track for qualifying on Friday evening. They’ll then compete for 400 miles under the lights on Saturday night at 7 p.m. in the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart.
Tickets and camping accommodations for the June 26-28 Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart NASCAR weekend are available at www.EchoParkSpeedway.com.
About the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart:
Atlanta’s Night Race returns with the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart on Saturday night, June 28, 2025. Sparks will fly as NASCAR’s best duel under the lights on EchoPark Speedway’s challenging high banks.
The rising stars of the NASCAR Xfinity Series bring the action Friday night in the Focused Health 250 on June 27.
Adding even higher stakes to the weekend is the first running of NASCAR’s $1 million In-Season Tournament. 32 of NASCAR’s stars will be paired against each other in a bracket-style elimination tournament that begins at EchoPark Speedway.
More information on the June 26-28 Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart weekend and ticket availability can be found online at www.EchoParkSpeedway.com.
About EchoPark Speedway:
EchoPark Speedway is a premier entertainment venue located about 30 miles south of Atlanta, Ga.
Since 1960, EchoPark Speedway has been a staple of the NASCAR calendar and currently hosts two weekends of racing in the spring and fall each year. When NASCAR isn’t in town, EchoPark Speedway’s versatile facility hosts an assortment of events that attract visitors from near and far, from Monster Jam to the Georgia State Fair and everything between.
For more information on EchoPark Speedway and to see upcoming events at the facility, visit www.EchoParkSpeedway.com.
