So, NASCAR has officially put an end to Ross Chastain’s wall-riding antics. The “Hail Melon” is now banned from the sport. Any driver that tries to do something similar is going to be given a time penalty. NASCAR cited their existing rule over safety as the reason.
There is no denying the historical importance of that move. This will be known as the Ross Chastain Rule for years to come. Despite being the most exciting moment of the 2022 season, it is far too dangerous to allow it to be a recurring thing.
So, where does that leave Chastain and Trackhouse? Well, Justin Marks had a great announcement on Wednesday.
“So the good news is these cars are strong. Because of that, the Martinsville “wall car” came back from the race with 90% of its parts reusable. Which means keeping that car exactly as it came off the track as a show car would cost Trackhouse hundreds of thousands of dollars. We’ve gone back and forth on what to do but given the new ruling NASCAR made yesterday, we’ve decided to preserve the car as best as possible. Ross’ move at Martinsville was a historic moment and should be preserved for the fans for years to come in physical form.
“This sport isn’t just about the balance sheet, it’s about passion and moments and people.”
While he finished 2nd at the end of the season, I’d say that the No. 1 car deserves to be preserved. No one will ever get a chance to try this again. And I’m sure this is heading to the Hall of Fame soon enough.
Justin Marks and Trackhouse Racing understand the fans more than people realize.
NASCAR Bans Ross Chastain Wall Move
When Ross Chastain asked his crew chief how many spots he needed, he heard “two.” Short tracks don’t give you much room to pass in just half a lap. Instead of slowing up heading into the turn, Chastain let the throttle down and put himself into the wall as gently as possible. Then, he just let it rip.
He picked up five spots and a place forever in the NASCAR history books. However, as NASCAR made its new rules announcements for 2023, it was clear what had to be done. That move is going to be banned now and no one should even have it in their mind, no matter what venue they are at.
Even though it will never happen again, we can cherish the one time it did. There is no reason for someone else to try to do it. We all wondered if you could video game yourself around a track and Ross Chastain answered that.
