The Shadow
RICHMOND, Va. (VR) — When NASCAR star Ross Chastain returns to Martinsville Speedway this weekend for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250, his car will feature more than just the No. 92—it will carry a lifesaving message about the importance of safe driving. Chastain’s new paint scheme features the “Who’s Your Driver? Choose a Sober Driver and Buckle Up” campaign logo, part of a partnership with the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and DRIVE SMART Virginia. The campaign aims to encourage fans and drivers to plan ahead, make safe choices, and buckle up.
“We’ve got the best fans in the world, and I want them all to get home safely,” Chastain said. “It’s rewarding to be part of a partnership that encourages smarter choices behind the wheel, and, if this message sticks with even just one person and helps them make a better decision, that’s what it is all about.”
This marks the second year Chastain has partnered with the DMV and DRIVE SMART Virginia, a nonprofit dedicated to improving roadway safety. While the collaboration began last year, this is the first time the “Who’s Your Driver?” campaign logo will appear on Chastain’s race car, bringing the message directly to fans at Martinsville Speedway and viewers watching nationwide.
The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 on Saturday, March 28, is expected to draw tens of thousands of fans, with national television coverage spreading the message to buckle up and choose a sober driver. It’s the same track where Chastain stunned fans with his famous “Hail Melon” move.
The message also reflects a serious reality on Virginia’s roads. In Virginia, one-in-three fatal crashes involves alcohol. In 2024, 318 people lost their lives, and more than 4,000 people were injured in alcohol-related crashes across the Commonwealth. The same year, 322 people who were not wearing their seat belts were killed—that represents 51% of all traffic fatalities in vehicles equipped with safety restraints.
“With Ross Chastain on board, our lifesaving message isn’t just seen, it’s visceral,” said DMV Commissioner Dr. Gerald F. Lackey, the Governor’s Highway Safety Representative. “Fans will feel it at full speed on the track, but the real impact is when that feeling sticks with them every time, they get behind the wheel.”
In the fan zone at Martinsville Speedway, DRIVE SMART Virginia will host a “Who’s Your Driver?” booth to continue spreading the message about safe driving, encouraging fans to take the pledge to never drive impaired and always buckle up—turning awareness into action both at the track and beyond.
“Ross brings an incredible platform to help us amplify safe driving messages with NASCAR fans,” said Kristin Pettway, Executive Director of DRIVE SMART Virginia. “We know racing fans are passionate and responsible, and we encourage them to plan ahead by choosing a designated driver before the tailgating begins.”
Chastain will stop by the “Who’s Your Driver?” booth, to sign autographs and talk with fans about safe driving from 11:25 a.m. to 12:25 p.m., Sunday, March 29.
For more information on the “Who’s Your Driver?” campaign, visit whosyourdriver.org.
