© Jim Dedmon/Imagn
Audio By Carbonatix
In 2022, Trackhouse Racing driver Ross Chastain announced himself as one of NASCAR‘s biggest stars en route to making the championship race. The years since have been trying for both Chastain and the Trackhouse team. But on Sunday night in Charlotte, Chastain cemented his spot in the NASCAR history books.
The 32-year-old former watermelon farmer passed William Byron, who led 283 of 400 possible laps, with just five laps remaining to win the historic Coca-Cola 600. In doing so, Chastain, who started 40th, became the first driver since legendary seven-time champion Richard Petty to win a race after qualifying dead last.
.@RossChastain is the FIRST driver to start LAST (not due to a penalty) and WIN since @therichardpetty in the 1971 Spring race at @RichmondRaceway.#NASCAR | #CocaCola600 | #NASCARonPrime | @jeff_gluck https://t.co/w3RjHNxamq
— Seth Eggert (@SethEggert91) May 26, 2025
NASCAR Fan Tries To Steal Hat Off Ross Chastain’s Head After Historic Victory
After the race, Chastain had an awkward interaction with an overzealous fan who reached into his car and attempted to steal the hat off of his head.
“Yeah, that was unfortunate,” Chastain said of the interaction during his post-race press conference. “A guy was on pit road. He was super excited. He reached in, I high-fived him. I didn’t know him. And he just like grabbed my head. I thought he was just saying, ‘oh yeah good job buddy.’ then he just pulled the hat and then he did this little dance and said ‘I got your hat. I got your hat.’ And I was like, no give it back,’ and he ran away.
“I just shut the car off and I pointed and the NASCAR security and Tony Lunders [Trackhouse competition director] was there and the security group. I was, like, that’s my winning hat. It rode in the car. Every week, every race car I ever drive, I take the hat with the hole in it so I can put it on the shifter. It rides on the transmission tunnel every race. And I put that on the shelf. It means a lot to me and I’m not gonna give that away.”
Ross Chastain said that when the guy who leaned into his window grabbed his head, he thought he was just saying good job in an excited way. But then he took his hat off his head, did a dance and said “I got your hat! I got your hat!”, and ran away.
Chastain’s winning hats are… https://t.co/m9Pun3zfA5 pic.twitter.com/VGEWSrvZvn
— Steven Taranto (@STaranto92) May 26, 2025
The win locks Chastain into the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. It marks his fourth straight season with at least one victory and is his first victory since winning at Kansas in September of last season.