NASCAR drivers recall Ross Chastain's "big brain move" at Martinsville Speedway last season

Last year, Ross Chastain aggressively accelerated and intentionally collided with the wall at the NASCAR Cup Series to harness the energy, propelling his car ahead of his competitors.

This strategic maneuver propelled him into the decisive final race of NASCAR, securing one of the coveted four spots. It garnered praise from motorsports personalities worldwide.

NASCAR subsequently declared that it would prohibit drivers from employing the wall-riding technique to gain speed, similar to what Ross Chastain executed in the previous year's Martinsville Cup playoff race.

Speaking to NBC Sports, Chastain said:

"There must have been 10 million people at that track because I swear I’ve had that many tell me that they were there that day, It’s so cool.”

"Seeing the fans’ cell phone video from the grandstands from different angles, and then hearing the crowd, it was wild. You can hear people asking each other what happened. Some are saying, ‘I missed it. What happened?’ Seeing just those grainy, shaky videos was probably the coolest part," he added.

Chastain continues to relish the diverse viewpoints regarding the decision, which was initially sparked by his experience playing a NASCAR video game on a Nintendo GameCube in the mid-2000s.

Numerous Formula One and IndyCar drivers expressed admiration for Chastain's real-world execution of a maneuver that they had previously attempted in virtual racing.

Bubba Wallace said:

"It was a blur. It was a massive blur. I was running eighth or ninth. Something just whizzed right by me, and I was like, ‘What is that?’ I was in the middle of 3 and 4, and I finally said that it’s Ross, and I was like, ‘Wow.’ That was pretty impressive. Pretty smart move."

Martin Truex Jr said:

“I was just maybe barely coming off 2, and I saw him flying through the middle the corner, and it looked like he was going a million mph. I’m thinking, ‘Holy hell. What in the hell is going on up there? That is insane.’ I think the same reaction as everyone else. ‘What just happened?’ It was crazy how fast it looked like he was going, even from being in the car a straightaway back.”

It could be considered the greatest NASCAR maneuver of all time, one that will never be duplicated since NASCAR prohibited it several months later.

The unforgettable "Hail Melon" maneuver at Martinsville - Ross Chastain's epic NASCAR moment

The "Hail Melon" move executed by Ross Chastain at Martinsville Speedway last year has been extensively reviewed and will be commemorated once more as the NASCAR Cup Series returns to Martinsville for the 500-lap race this Sunday.

In a situation where Chastain faced potential playoff elimination, he approached the final lap at the flat, half-mile, paperclip-shaped track in 10th place. He was fully aware that passing the cars to secure a spot in the championship race was a formidable challenge. He was just two points away from the transfer position, but quitting was not an option for him.

Chastain maintained full throttle, skillfully using the walls to navigate turns three and four at a significantly higher speed than his competitors. He overtook five cars in the process, advancing from 10th to fifth place and securing a spot in the championship race.

His final lap time was 2.5 seconds faster than any of the 500 laps completed that day. However, no one will attempt their version of the "Hail Melon" on Sunday, as NASCAR banned the maneuver earlier this year citing safety concerns. Chastain will still sport the No. 1 Moose Fraternity paint scheme, but he'll be driving a new Chevrolet this weekend.

Nonetheless, fans at the short track in Southern Virginia will have an opportunity to relive this historic moment as Chastain's Trackhouse Racing team will showcase last year's car, complete with wall scrapes, at the Chevrolet Activation Stage in the track's fan area on Saturday and Sunday.

Chastain will also bring a special helmet to Martinsville, painted to replicate the damaged car, complete with scrapes and textures, as a tribute to the "Hail Melon" move.