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Martinsville Speedway has taken steps to preserve one of the most famous moments in the track’s history. Ross Chastain removed a section of the Hail Melon wall so that it can be preserved.
The ceremony took place on March 7. The Trackhouse Racing driver went to Martinsville Speedway and autographed the section of the wall that he used to race his way into the championship four. He then hopped into some heavy equipment from sponsor Kubota and removed that 20-foot section of the SAFER barrier.
There are questions about what will happen to this section of the wall. It is possible that it goes to the NASCAR Hall of Fame so that racing fans can visit it. The autographed SAFER barrier could also go to the Trackhouse Racing shop in Concord, N.C. Regardless of where it ultimately lands, the key part is that it will be preserved.
The Hail Melon Completely Changed the Playoffs
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GettyRoss Chastain’s move did not make some drivers happy.
Why would Martinsville Speedway remove this piece of the SAFER barrier so that it could be preserved? The answer is simple — this moment on October 30, 2022, completely changed the NASCAR playoffs and took on a life of its own.
The situation occurred on the final lap of the Xfinity 500, which was the elimination race of the Round of Eight. Chastain was below the elimination line, and he needed to somehow gain two spots on the final lap to reach the championship four for the first time in Trackhouse Racing history.
There was no logical path forward, so Chastain relied on his history of playing video games. He floored it and slammed the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro into the wall on Turns 3 and 4.
This move propelled Chastain past several other drivers, a list that included Denny Hamlin. He crossed the finish line fifth overall but moved up to fourth after NASCAR disqualified the No. 6 of RFK Racing.
This move eliminated Hamlin from the playoffs and put Chastain in the final four alongside Joey Logano, Christopher Bell, and Chase Elliott. It also went viral with millions of views and made an appearance on the SportsCenter Top 10.
NASCAR Has Outlawed the Hail Melon
GettyRoss Chastain waves to fans at Martinsville Speedway.
There were debates about the Hail Melon after the end of the 2022 Cup Series season. Some people applauded the move while others criticized it. Some debates focused on whether the move would be legal in future seasons.
NASCAR provided the answer ahead of the 2023 Cup Series season with a press release focusing on multiple rule changes. The sanctioning body said that any attempts to recreate Chastain’s move would be met with a time penalty.
NASCAR did not create a new rule to address this move. Instead, it simply pointed to one that already existed — Section 10.5.2.6.A of the NASCAR Rule Book.
This section says that “Safety is a top priority for NASCAR and NEM (NASCAR Event Management). Therefore, any violations deemed to 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. Safety violations will be handled on a case-by-case basis.”
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