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NASCAR Fan Stole Driver's Hat At The Coca-Cola 600

Originally posted on The Spun | By Daniel Bates | Last updated May 26, 2025 11:26 AM ET

Long story short, don't mess with Ross Chastain's hats.

After winning NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday, an unruly fan reportedly made their way onto pit road following Chastain's Cup Series win and attempted to steal the Trackhouse driver's hat.

Chastain was greeted by the fan who appeared friendly before they suddenly swiped his headwear off and mocked him. The 32-year-old racing veteran was understandably ticked off by the interaction, but he did reveal that the hat was eventually returned (by one way or another).

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

"I did [get the hat back]. I believe this is the hat. That was unfortunate," Chastain told CBS Sports during postrace media availability. "A guy was on pit road, he was super excited and he reached in [the car]. I high fived him; I didn't know him and he just like grabbed my head and I thought, oh, he's just saying, 'Good job, buddy.'"

"Then, he just pulled the hat and did this little dance and said, 'I got your hat. I got your hat.' I was like, 'Give it back,'" the driver of the No. 1 car continued. "He ran away and I just shut the car off, pointed to NASCAR security."

"That's my winning hat. It rode in the car. Every race I drive, I have to have a hat with a hole in it so I can put it on the shifter, and it rides on the transmission tunnel every week," Chastain explained. "That's the hat and I'll put it on the shelf. It means a lot to me, and I'm not gonna give that away."

TALLADEGA, ALABAMA - APRIL 24: Ross Chastain, driver of the #1 Moose Fraternity Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 24, 2022 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

Chastain earned a spot in victory lane over the weekend in dramatic fashion — passing William Byron in the final leg who had been dominating the action for most of the evening.

And to make the accomplishment even more impressive, he became the first driver since the great Richard Petty over 50 years ago to win a race after starting last (without a penalty), per NASCAR stat guy Seth Eggert.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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