Events
NASCAR Driver Visits Wake Tech
Ross Chastain Discusses Driver Safety
RALEIGH, N.C. (October 23, 2024) – NASCAR Cup Series driver Ross Chastain made a pit stop at Wake Tech on Wednesday to remind students and the community to ease off the throttle and leave the racing on the track.
The driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 came to the Hendrick Center for Automotive Excellence on Scott Northern Wake Campus as part of the North Carolina Governor's Highway Safety Program.
Chastain, who grew up driving tractors and four-wheelers on his family's watermelon farm, is passionate about safe driving and has launched what he calls his "Protect Your Melon" initiative.
"Wear your seat belt, don't drink and drive, and do not text while you are behind the wheel. That message can wait until you arrive at your destination," he advised students.
Chastain also answered questions, signed autographs and posed for photos with students in the high-demand Automotive Systems Technology and Collision Repair & Refinishing Technology programs, which are based at the Hendrick Center. The facility is also home to several manufacturer master tech programs, as well as short-term, non-degree automotive training.
The Hendrick Center serves as an employment pipeline for the Triangle region's automotive dealerships. Its programs generate a skilled workforce capable of servicing the latest vehicle technologies, including hybrid and all-electric vehicles.
Learn more about Wake Tech's transportation education programs at transportation.waketech.edu.
