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Most fans recall that on the final lap of last fall's NASCAR Cup Series Xfinity 500 at Martinsville, Ross Chastain came down the backstretch and slammed the gas pedal to the floor. He pinned his car up against the wall and skidded against it the rest of the way, passing a half-dozen cars in front of him to finish fourth.
Martinsville Speedway has made steps to preserve one of the track's most iconic moments. Chastain removed a portion of the Hail Melon wall to preserve it.
On Tuesday afternoon, construction employees were at Martinsville Speedway removing a section of the track's wall between Turns 3 and 4. It was all about preserving history, and the guy who created that history.
The manoeuvre not only pushed Ross Chastain to the Cup Series championship, but it also became popular online. Videos from TV and spectators in the stands were shared millions of times.
Supporters called the move 'Hail Melon', in honour of Chastain's time working on a watermelon field and his habit of throwing a watermelon on the ground to celebrate racing wins.
Ross Chastain visited Martinsville Speedway and signed the section of the wall where he raced his way into the title four. He then climbed into some Kubota heavy equipment and removed that 20-foot part of the SAFER fence.
The scuffed-up paint markings on the wall have been evident since that late October race. It was assured to the fans that arrangements are being made to preserve the historic feat.
Authorities at Martinsville Speedway said they aren't sure where the 20-foot portion of the wall will go. The NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina, is the most likely place for now.
It's also possible that it'll be shipped to Chastain's team, Trackhouse Racing, to be displayed in their shop. The crew is also preserving Chastain's car from that day, despite the fact that it still operates and may be used in future races.
Ross Chastain claimed he first considered making the move as he approached the front stretch to begin the last lap. At that moment, his spotter and crew chief were warning him over the radio that he needed to pick up a few spaces to qualify for the Final Four.
“It’s actually not perfectly straight coming the back straightaway. I thought I would just blend into it easy, but I actually didn’t hit the wall until here, where it really starts turning, and it was a bigger impact than I thought. I thought I would just be scrubbing it going straight, but it actually got in the way.”
Chastain hit the wall at around 130 mph, breaking the track record for the fastest lap completed in a Cup Series car.
Ross Chastain's 'Hail Melon' move banned from NASCAR
When Ross Chastain punched the gas and used the Martinsville Raceway wall to direct his car, he passed many competitors. It led to him advancing to the final round of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
In its 2023 rules announcement, NASCAR stated that an interpretation of its current general rule on safety would declare such a manoeuvre unlawful. It also said that a driver would be penalized per lap or time for it. So, while Chastain etched his name in history, others have to be careful about doing the same thing.
