As the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series makes it’s way across the country, Ross Chastain and the SS Green Light Racing team have partnered with another local association to help promote the benefits of the delicious, juicy fruit that is grown throughout the country as the Illiana Watermelon Association (Illinois and Indiana) have joined to support the young farmer from Florida on Saturday night in the American Ethanol 225 at the Chicagoland Speedway.
While the SS Green Light Racing team has spent the week in the Midwest following last week’s event at the Iowa Speedway preparing for this Saturday’s race, Ross has been busy visiting retailers helping to promote the most consumed melon in the United States.
“I’m having a real good time, we’re doing promotions in the Chicago area,” Chastain said. “We’ve had the Illiana Watermelon Queen and we’ve been visiting Jewel-Osco stores giving away free watermelon. It’s been so hot and dry here in the Midwest, there is nothing better than fresh watermelon to cool you down.”
The return to the Chicagoland Speedway is an annual homecoming for team owner Bobby Dotter who grew-up racing the short tracks in the Midwest and there will be plenty of friends and family joining the SS Green Light team for the American Ethanol 225.
“I’m sure there are plenty of people coming to see Bobby,” Ross continued. “I haven’t seen the guest list, I think it’s pretty big this week; there are a bunch of people from the Illiana Watermelon Association coming to Saturday’s race.”
Chastain has never raced at the Chicagoland Speedway but is looking forward to some better luck than the first few races this season on mile-and-a half speedways where mechanical gremlins have slowed the No. 08 Toyota on several occasions. “I’ve never been to Chicago before,” he added. “I got to see it when we parked the motorhome, but I’ve never been out on the track. We have the same truck we ran at Kentucky, you never know how that race would have turned out if we didn’t have troubles but the truck felt real good, it should be good here.”
“We’re going to have four different Watermelon Queens at the track this weekend. The Illiana board will have a booth in the midway and we’ll have the National Queen, the Illiana Queen as well as Florida and South Carolina Queens and they’ll all be handing out watermelon this weekend.”
The American Ethanol 228 is the 280th consecutive NCWTS start for the SS Green Light Racing team and the fifteenth career start for Chastain in the Truck Series. Ross has an average starting spot of 21.9 and an average finish of 21.6 including two top-ten finishes in his previous starts.
There are 36 trucks on the entry list for the American Ethanol 225, which will prelude the NASCAR Nationwide Series STP 300 at the Chicagoland Speedway. Johnny Chapman is set to pilot the No. 07 for SS Green Light Racing.
Practice for the American Ethanol 225 will be Friday, July 20th from 4:30 p.m. to 5:50 p.m. and 8:10 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. On Saturday, July 21st there will be two laps of qualifying at 2:35 p.m. and the green flag will fly in the American Ethanol 225at 7:00 p.m. All times Central. The race will be shown live on SPEED TV and will also be broadcast live via on the Motor Racing Network and on SIRIUS Satellite Radio NASCAR Channel 128-XM104.
SS Green Light Racing PR
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