When Kyle Larson attempted a 'Hail Melon' before Ross Chastain’s iconic NASCAR move

While Ross Chastain’s 2022 "Hail Melon" maneuver at Martinsville grabbed headlines for its success, it was Kyle Larson who initially sparked the trend at Darlington in 2021. Although Larson’s attempt to overtake Denny Hamlin in the final moments of the Southern 500 didn’t pan out, fans still remember the move. Hamlin managed to fend off Larson’s challenge and clinched the victory.

Right after the race, Larson said over the radio that he “tried to video game it.” NASCAR on NBC recently revisited the incident by posting the footage on their official X handle, captioning it:

"One year before Ross Chastain rode the wall at Martinsville, Kyle Larson tried the same thing at Darlington... It didn't work quite as well. #NASCAR"

On the other hand, when Ross Chastain executed a similar move in 2022, he surged ahead by five spots, even though he needed to climb only two positions on the final lap to make it into the Championship 4. Chastain rocketed through Turns 3 and 4 at Martinsville, hitting speeds over 50 mph faster than usual on the 0.526-mile track. His drive resulted in an 18.845-second lap, setting a record for the fastest lap in Cup history at Martinsville.

In a post-race interview, Chastain revealed that his maneuver was inspired by playing a NASCAR video game with his brother on a Nintendo GameCube in the mid-2000s. Despite its initial acclaim, the "Hail Melon" move has since been banned due to the potential risks it poses to drivers.

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Can Kyle Larson reclaim the top spot in the final race of the regular season?

Throughout the 2024 season, Kyle Larson has predominantly topped the driver standings by securing victories in four of the 24 races he's competed in. Yet, as the regular season draws to a close, Tyler Reddick has overtaken him, currently leading with 823 points. Larson is just a hair behind in second place with 806 points, trailing by 17.

Chase Elliott, who also spent a few weeks at the top of the standings this season, is now in third place with 805 points. According to NASCAR insiders Jordan Bianchi and Jeff Gluck of The Athletic,

"[Reddick] led 174 laps in the spring. They have had a lot of speed in their race cars. …Look at what they have done throughout the course of the summer. They’ve had speed every single week, they don’t make mistakes, they execute, they qualify well, which is really important at Darlington, by the way. I would almost throw Reddick as the favorite in this race." [at 33:40]

Statistically, Tyler Reddick's average finish at Darlington Raceway stands at 13.4, while Kyle Larson’s is slightly better at 11.3. However, in their last five outings on the track, Reddick has finished in the top-5 three times, whereas Kyle Larson has only cracked the top-5 once.