NASCAR Cup Series officials plan to penalize copycat drivers willing to re-create Ross Chastain’s “Hail Melon.”
On the final lap of the playoff race at Martinsville Speedway on Oct. 30, 2022, Chastain pulled off the move of his career. While riding the wall along Turns 3 and 4, Chastain floored the gas pedal, generating a slingshot effect and picking up a few needed spots. The controversial maneuver propelled Chastain into a fifth-place finish, good enough to clinch a spot in the Championship 4 race the following week.
Among a series of 2023 rule changes announced leading up to Sunday’s caution-filled Clash at the Coliseum, any attempt to duplicate Chastain’s desperate move will lead to disciplinary action.
Fast Thoughts: My heart wants the Hail Melon to be legal. My brain says it probably shouldn’t be. So I have mixed feelings on the NASCAR announcement today.
More» https://t.co/vHw6uuGCL8 pic.twitter.com/PYDDTPuXdU
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) January 31, 2023
Chastain: ‘I’m proud that I’ll be the first and last guy’
Citing a safety rule already on the books, moves like the “Hail Melon” should be banned because they could “compromise the safety of an event or otherwise pose a dangerous risk to the safety of competitors, officials, spectators or others are treated with the highest degree of seriousness.”
While “riding the wall” is not specifically detailed in the rules book, the sanctioning body will not tolerate imitators.
Chastain told TMZ Sports he’s “proud” to wear the moment’s originality.
“I take it as a badge of honor that I want my crew chief and my engineers and my mechanics pushing the limits of the car,” he said. “I don’t want to break the rules but I want them to have to write new rules and explain things more clearly where we might find a gray area on the car.
“I’m proud that I’ll be the first and last guy to successfully do it.”
In addition to wet weather tires being approved for some ovals and the banning of Ross Chastain's wall-riding maneuver, #NASCAR revealed several other rules changes ahead of the 2023 season.https://t.co/XTZ3MILebK
— Motorsport.com (@Motorsport) January 31, 2023
NASCAR Alters More Rules
Here are four other major rule changes that will go into effect before the Daytona 500 on Feb. 19:
Pit Road Repair Times
The Damaged Vehicle Policy was updated, allowing seven minutes for pit-crew members to make repairs before being officially eliminated from the event. Teams are permitted to change toe links but not control arms. Specialized repair tools are also banned from pit road.
Driving While Wet
For short oval events, organizations are expected to prepare their cars for wet weather conditions as if they were competing on road courses. That means machines must have windshield wipers and specialized tires for upcoming events at Lucas Oil Raceway Park, Martinsville, Milwaukee, New Hampshire, North Wilkesboro, Phoenix and Richmond.
Expanded Restart Zones
Listening to drivers, industry officials decided to expand the restart zones, allowing a race leader more space on the restart. NASCAR will study the rule change and decide its fate by the spring race in Atlanta (March 19).
Wheelin’ It
If a machine loses a while after leaving pit road, the team will be penalized two laps and two pit crew members will face a two-race suspension.
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