NASCAR Bans Ross Chastain’s “Hail Melon” Move, Removes Cautions From Road Course Stages in Major Rule Changes for Upcoming Season
NASCAR announced new rules for the upcoming 2023 season that includes a ban on moves like Ross Chastain’s ‘Hail Melon’ Martinsville, and the removal caution flags at stages for road courses.
NASCAR announced the rule changes in a post on their official website explaining that they are not actually including new language or creating a new rule to ban Chastain’s ‘Hail Melon,’ However, NASCAR rule 10.5.2.6.A will ban the move.
The league explained. “NASCAR will not add new language to the rule book but instead point to rule 10.5.2.6.A, which states: “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.”
NASCAR’s Senior Vice President of Competition Elton Sawyer also added, “Basically, if there’s an act that we feel that compromises the safety of our competitors, officials, spectators, we’re going to take that seriously. And we will penalize for that act going forward.”
Sawyer added, “Basically, what it would be is a lap or time penalty at the end of the race, so that move at Martinsville would be a penalty.”
RELATED: Joey Logano Reacts To Ross Chastain’s Wall-Ride Move, Calls For NASCAR To Outlaw It
Following Chastain’s move at Martinsville numerous drivers wanted the move banned. Joey Logano, the NASCAR Eventual Champion, was one of those drivers who praised the move.
He stated, “As spectacular as it was and as much as it worked, the problem is now the box is open. Right now every Xfinity race, every truck race, every Cup race, no matter the track, this wall riding is gonna be a play. That’s not good. That’s not good.”
“It was awesome, it was cool like I mean it happened for the first time, there’s no rule against it,” He continued. “There needs to be a rule against this one because it’s — I don’t know if you want the whole field riding the wall coming to the checkered flag. I don’t know for one if it’s the safest thing for a driver or the fans when you got a car right up against the wall hauling the mail like that, right?”
“What if that catch fence, the gate wasn’t closed all the way way or what if it bent and it caught his car. That’s a big, big risk that Ross is willing to take. And God bless him and that’s awesome, but I don’t think we need to do that every week,” Logano stated.
Kyle Larson, former NASCAR Champion Kyle Larson described it as “embarrasing” And “not a good look for our sport.”
Larson told NBC Sports’ Dustin Long, “Gosh, it’s just a bad look. I’m embarrassed that I did it at Darlington and it probably, you know, if maybe I didn’t do it last year people wouldn’t even think to do that. So I’m embarrassed myself and glad that I didn’t win that way.”
“And that’s just not a good look,” he reiterated. “It’s not a good look. Between yesterday, and how embarrassing that was at the Xfinity race and there at the finish. It’s embarrassing.”
When pressed on why it’s embarrassing, Larson detailed, “I guess I’d ask you guys what makes that not embarrassing? Also, I don’t know what your guys’ opinion — isn’t or it is. But if you think that’s fair, why would you think that’s fair?”
#NASCAR … Kyle Larson is not a fan of the last-lap move by Ross Chastain along the wall. Larson claimed it was “not a good look.” He explains … pic.twitter.com/hfYJa2qEeW
— Dustin Long (@dustinlong) October 30, 2022
Another major rule change was the elimination of caution flags at stages end during road course races. NASCAR provided more information in this post. “The removal of stage cautions at road courses comes following a review of Fan Council Data and industry discussions. Stage points will still be awarded at the stage-ending lap, but the green-checkered flag will not be displayed and there will not be a caution period to interrupt the action.”
Sawyer stated that the changes were made in an effort to bring back some strategy to the roads. ““When we introduced stage racing four or five years ago, we took an element of strategy away from the event [at road courses]. So we felt like this is going to bring some new storylines.”
This change is only for the Cup Series, NASCAR.com noted. “Standalone road-course races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races (Portland, Mid-Ohio, Road America) will continue to see caution periods separate stages.”
RELATED: Kevin Harvick Announces his Retirement from NASCAR after the 2023 Season
Nascar.com has other changes planned for the upcoming 2023 season:
- The “choose rule” The procedure for determining the restart order was expanded for the 2023 season with superspeedway events and dirt-track events adopting it.
- The season’s first five events will have a 50% increase in the length of their restart zones. Officials indicated that they would examine the Atlanta race to determine if the wider restart zone will be used for subsequent races.
- Officials from NASCAR adjusted the damaged vehicle policy, (DVP) and established a seven-minute repair time for work done on pit road. No specialized tools are permitted, as was the case last season. The pit road allows the replacement of toe links during the allotted period.
- Competition officials have also updated their event procedure rules to address vehicle interference with crews at pit stops. Penalties may be applied to vehicles that encroach on pit stalls during service. To assist officials in making these calls, stalls will be marked with orange markings at the pit road.
What do YOU think about NASCAR banning the Hail Melon maneuver and eliminating cautions at the ends of road course races?
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