Suburban Propane Partners (NYSE: SPH) has signed NASCAR Cup Series driver Ross Chastain as a brand ambassador, the Whippany, N.J.-based propane distributor announced Aug. 3. The deal extends the company's existing footprint as the Official Propane of NASCAR and leans into Chastain's dual identity as a professional racer and working farmer.
The Ambassador Angle
Chastain, who wheels the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, is also a partner in Melon 1, his family's multi-state watermelon farming operation based in Alva, Florida — making him an eighth-generation grower. That agricultural credential is the core of Suburban Propane's pitch: the company has served farm customers for nearly 100 years, supplying propane for grain dryers, irrigation engines, and other critical ag applications. Under the partnership, Chastain will appear in promotional campaigns, fan engagement programs, and agricultural community events designed to underscore propane's role on the farm.
"Partnering with Ross is a natural extension of that relationship, reflecting our shared commitment to hard work, integrity, and the agricultural communities that are vital to America's economy," said Nandini Sankara, Vice President of Marketing & Brand Strategy at Suburban Propane.
NASCAR Platform at 21 Tracks
The Chastain signing caps a busy expansion period for Suburban Propane's motorsports strategy. Earlier this year the company grew its NASCAR presence to 21 racetracks nationwide. At those venues, propane fuels the track dryers that clear moisture after rain delays, powers concession equipment serving thousands of fans per event, and supplies campground hookups that support multi-day race weekends. The company has also piloted renewable propane-powered EV charging demonstrations at select tracks as part of its lower-carbon investment push.
For c-store and fuel operators, the NASCAR tie-in is worth watching from a supply-chain angle. Propane remains a workhorse fuel in the convenience channel — powering back-of-house fryers, roller grills, and dispensed-beverage equipment at locations that lack natural gas access, particularly in rural markets where agricultural customers and c-store traffic often overlap. Suburban Propane services roughly 1 million customers through approximately 750 locations across 42 states, a distribution footprint that puts the company in close proximity to the rural independent operators and single-store operators (SSOs) that depend on delivered propane for foodservice programs.
Ag Propane Context
The NACS channel skews heavily rural and suburban, and propane's role in agricultural communities creates natural cross-promotional opportunities between farm supply, energy delivery, and convenience retail. According to the Propane Education & Research Council, U.S. farms consume roughly 1 billion gallons of propane annually for crop drying, space heating, and irrigation — a demand base that Suburban Propane has served since its 1928 founding. Pairing that legacy message with Chastain's visibility in one of America's most-watched motorsports series gives the brand a media platform that reaches both farming households and the broader rural consumer base that anchors many c-store trade areas.
For fuel distributors and operators tracking alternative energy options at the forecourt, the partnership also signals continued mainstream marketing investment behind propane at a moment when the channel is weighing EV infrastructure, renewable diesel, and hydrogen alongside traditional fuels. Suburban Propane's renewable propane and renewable natural gas lines are positioned as a bridge for operators navigating that transition at the pump.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
