NASCAR driver Ross Chastain is no stranger to high-speed wrecks, but at Richmond Raceway on Aug. 15, his focus was on helping fans avoid them off the track.

Chastain spent an hour signing hats, shirts and posters and talking one-on-one with fans during the “Who’s Your Driver?” event, a partnership with the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles and Drive Smart Virginia to promote safe driving. 

For Chastain, the message is personal. In 2011, one of his closest friends was in a car crash that left him unable to walk. The experience, Chastain said, changed how he thinks about driving. 

“When people get behind the wheel, they should remember the real victory lap is making it home,” Chastain said. “Wearing a seat belt and choosing a sober driver aren’t just safety tips, they’re decisions that save lives.” 

The program, created by the Virginia DMV Highway Safety Office and Drive Smart Virginia, addresses the dangers of impaired driving and failing to wear seat belts. 

Chastain said he recognized early in his NASCAR career that crashes on the track aren’t so different from those on public roads. 

“I do crash a lot, and that’s part of the sport of NASCAR,” he said. “If I could get people to listen, maybe one more person wears their seat belt, one more person makes the right decision when they have a beer.” 

Chastain was in town for the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway on Aug. 16, when Austin Dillon took the checkered flag and Chastain finished 19th, one lap down. 

Ben Steelman, a fan at the event, said meeting Chastain was a highlight. 

“I think [this event] is part of what makes NASCAR so cool,” Steelman said. “It’s not perfect. There’s a lot of reasons to not love everything NASCAR does, but they do a pretty good job of making things like this fan-friendly and affordable for everyone.”