8th Generation Watermelon Farmer Continuing Family Tradition On-and-Off the Track
LAKE WALES, Fla., (March 13, 2023) – DGM Racing announces Chad Chastain’s NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) debut on Saturday, March 18, 2023, in the Raptor 250, at Atlanta Motor Speedway based in Hampton, Ga. He will pilot the No. 91 Protect Your Melon Chevrolet at the reconfigured 1.54-mile track.
“We’re excited to work with Chad (Chastain),” said DGM Racing team owner, Mario Gosselin. “He has done a nice job in the select NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races he has run, and we’re excited to give him the opportunity to continue his growth in NASCAR. The program that both Ross (Chastain) and Chad have put together promoting seat belt safety is fantastic and we’re happy to collaborate with them to bring awareness to this important topic.”
The Chastain brothers have been promoting seat belt use with the Governors Highway Safety Association and other states around the country for many years. The "Protect Your Melon" campaign is based on the family's watermelon farming operation in southwest Florida; they are 8th-generation watermelon farmers.
“I’m thrilled to make my NASCAR Xfinity Series debut with DGM Racing, a Florida-based race team, driving a “Protect Your Melon” Chevrolet just like I watched my brother (Ross) do for years,” said Chad Chastain. “I have a great platform to raise awareness for safe driving, whether on the track or on the roads in the local community and being able to tie that back to our family business is an honor.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2020, 53 percent of the persons killed in passenger vehicle crashes in Georgia were not wearing seat belts, which is a five percent increase from 2019. The fatality data for the nation shows that 51 percent of the persons killed in passenger vehicle crashes in the United States in 2020 were not wearing seat belts, which is a four percent increase from the previous year.
Seat belts are estimated to save close to 15,000 lives each year in the U.S. and several thousand more lives could be saved if passengers chose to wear a seat belt on every trip. Data shows that wearing a seat belt in the front seat of a passenger car reduces the risk of a fatal injury in a crash by 45 percent and it reduces the risk of fatal injury riding in the front seat of a light pickup truck by 60 percent.
The Raptor 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday, March 18, 2023, will go green at 4:30 p.m. ET and be broadcast live on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Ch. 90.
For information about the Governor's Office of Highway Safety “Protect Your Melon” seat belt campaign, visit https://www.gahighwaysafety.org/seat-belts/.
About DGM Racing
Driven by pure passion and love for everything racing, DGM Racing is a family-owned and operated business headquartered in Lake Wales, FL. Since 1990, Mario Gosselin and his wife, Michelle, have worked tirelessly to elevate DGM Racing and grow the organization each year. What started as a local hobby on the weekends in Hialeah, Florida, has grown into a powerhouse organization fielding four NASCAR Xfinity Series cars. Going into the 2023 season, the team has more than 179 Top-20 race finishes and five Top-20 finishes in driver standings between 2020-2022.
For additional information, news and the latest updates, connect with DGM Racing at www.dgmracing.com, Facebook (DGM Racing), Twitter (@dgm_racing_), Instagram (@dgm_racing_), or TikTok (@DGMRacingFL).
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