Honestly, if you saw it live, you probably thought your TV glitched. Or maybe that you’d accidentally sat on the remote and swapped the channel to a broadcast of NASCAR 2005: Chase for the Cup on an old PlayStation 2.
But it was real. October 30, 2022. Martinsville Speedway.
Ross Chastain was running 10th. He needed two spots to make the Championship 4. Instead of braking for Turn 3 like every other sane human being on the planet, he upshifted. He slammed his No. 1 Chevrolet into the outside retaining wall, kept the throttle pinned to the floorboard, and let physics do the rest.
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He didn't just get the two spots. He passed five cars in about four seconds. He set a track record that will likely never be broken—a 18.845-second lap at a place where the pole speed is usually a full second slower. It was the "Hail Melon," and it changed the sport forever by forcing NASCAR to do something they hate doing: banning a move that technically wasn't against the rules.
The Physics of a Video Game Stunt
Why did NASCAR riding the wall actually work? Usually, when you hit a wall at 100 mph, your day is over. Your suspension bends, your toe-link snaps, and you’re headed to the garage in a tow truck.
But Martinsville is a tiny half-mile paperclip. The corners are tight. Drivers usually have to slow down to about 60 mph just to make the turn without sliding. By using the wall as a giant guide rail, Chastain didn't have to rely on his tires for "turning force" (centripetal force, for the nerds out there).
Normally, your tires provide all the grip. If you go too fast, you lose that grip and slide out. By intentionally "crashing" into the wall and staying there, Chastain used the physical barrier to keep his car pointed in the right direction while his engine was screaming at 100% output. He was traveling nearly 50 mph faster than the cars he was passing.
It was brilliant. It was also terrifying.
Why NASCAR Had to Kill the Fun
Look, fans loved it. The video got millions of views. It was the kind of viral moment NASCAR dreams about. So why did they ban it just a few months later?
Safety. Period.
You’ve gotta think about what happens if that move becomes "meta." If every driver on the final lap of every race decides to ride the wall, you’re going to have a 3,500-pound car fly into the catch fence or, worse, into the crossover gate. The walls at Martinsville—and most short tracks—aren't designed for sustained, high-speed grinding. They are meant to absorb impacts, not act as a shortcut.
NASCAR didn't actually write a new rule, though. They just pointed to an existing one. Rule 10.5.2.6.A is basically the "don't do anything stupid or dangerous" clause. They clarified that starting in 2023, any attempt at NASCAR riding the wall would result in a time penalty. Basically, if you try it now, you’ll be scored at the back of the pack, making the move pointless.
The Aftermath of the Hail Melon
The car itself, the "Moose Fraternity" Chevy, was so beat up that Trackhouse Racing didn't even try to fix it. They preserved it. It’s a literal piece of history now because it represents the last time a driver could "glitch" real-life racing.
- The Lap Time: 18.845 seconds (The previous record was held by Joey Logano at 18.898... in qualifying).
- The G-Force: Estimates suggest Chastain pulled nearly 5Gs. For context, that’s what fighter pilots feel.
- The Peer Review: Drivers like Kyle Larson and Joey Logano called it "embarrassing" and "not good for the sport," even while admitting it was cool to watch. They knew if it wasn't banned, they'd be forced to do it too.
The Evolution of the "Wall Ride"
Before Chastain, people had tried it in small doses. Kyle Larson famously tried to "wall ride" his way past Denny Hamlin at Darlington a year earlier, but he hit the wall too hard and lost momentum. It turns out, you can't just hit the wall; you have to marry it.
Chastain’s success came from the fact that he didn't just bounce off; he committed. He shifted into fifth gear—a gear nobody uses at Martinsville—and kept the tires spinning against the concrete.
It was a perfect storm of the Next-Gen car's durability (the composite bodies can take a hit better than the old steel ones) and a driver with absolutely nothing to lose.
What This Means for You
If you're a fan or a sim-racer, the "Hail Melon" is a lesson in thinking outside the box, but it's also a reminder that the "rule of cool" doesn't always fly in professional sports.
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- Don't expect it in 2026. If you see a car heading for the wall on the final lap today, it’s probably a wreck, not a strategy.
- Respect the "Catch-All" Rule. NASCAR's decision to use Rule 10.5.2.6.A shows that they will always prioritize safety over viral clips.
- Watch the Short Tracks. Even without the wall ride, tracks like Martinsville and Bristol are where the most desperate—and creative—driving happens.
The Hail Melon was a once-in-a-lifetime fluke that we were all lucky to see. It pushed the boundaries of what a car could do, and while we'll never see NASCAR riding the wall like that again, it's cemented Ross Chastain as one of the gutsiest drivers to ever strap into a cockpit.
The move is dead, but the legend of the watermelon farmer who "broke" NASCAR is definitely here to stay.