Ross Chastain on competing, expectations and, of course, watermelons

Each week, The Athletic asks the same 12 questions to a different race car driver. Up next: Ross Chastain, who enters Sunday night’s NASCAR Cup Series regular-season finale at Darlington Raceway trailing Chris Buescher by 27 points for the final playoff spot. This interview has been edited and condensed, but the full version is available on the 12 Questions podcast.

What is currently the No. 1 thing on your bucket list?

Go to Australia. Mainly just because on the (map), it’s as far across the page as you can get. I have talked to Shane (van Gisbergen) a little bit about New Zealand and Australia to get some tips. He’s just kind of like, “Ah, you don’t want to go down there, mate. Just stay here.” But I just want to be able to, in my mind, say, “I’ve went around the world.” And I’ve never been east or west of North America.

How much media coverage of NASCAR do you consume?

All of it. I mean, I don’t do a ton of the podcasts. No offense, but there’s too many. But if it’s text, I’d rather read your 12 Questions when I am going to scour something. I only go for the voice audio if I’m trying to hear how they said it to put in more context. I probably lose some human factor (by only reading), but I’d rather just read it.

I do have a group who sends me (news) stuff in case it’s really time-sensitive to know before we walk into the garage. But most of the time, I’ve already seen it before it gets brought up.

Beyond winning, what is the best way to measure success in racing?

It comes down to teammates, if you have them. I want my teammate to be the best and prepare the best. But then again, how I measure it is teammates or equal teams, if they’re similar in budget and similar in people, structure and hierarchy in the garage. And then you can compare them.

What is an opinion you have about NASCAR that you don’t think is shared by the fans?

Sometimes I think I’m still a bit of a fan, so I don’t know I can really put myself in (other shoes). I know I am in a different category now, but everything is pretty transparent these days. You (media) dig in and shine a light in places that shows our story and our sport. So there’s nothing I haven’t seen other people say or write about or talk about.

What is the biggest thing fans don’t realize about what you do for a living?

Again, most of my competitors tell our story pretty well. I probably am on the less side of telling my story of my day-to-day. I don’t post a picture every time I’m in the simulator. I don’t post every workout. I don’t post every time I’m in the shop.

I do all the same stuff I see other drivers (post), but they just post about it more. People will sometimes ask me if I do X, Y or Z because they see another driver post about it. I say “Yeah,” and they’re like, “Well, we don’t ever see you post about it.” I don’t have a highlight reel of my preparation; I have a highlight reel of the business of my life and my job.