Ross Chastain’s daring last-lap thrash will forever be memorialized in NASCAR lore.
Chastain visited the historic 0.526-mile paperclip-shaped short track on Tuesday, climbed into a Kubota forklift and helped remove part of the SAFER barrier in Turns 3 and 4, the site of his famed ‘Hail Melon’ move that propelled him into the Championship 4 of the NASCAR Cup Series in 2022.
The removed portion of the wall will be preserved to commemorate the wall ride heard around the world when Chastain propelled himself around the perimeter of the white steel barriers to launch past four cars – earning enough points to leap into the championship round of the sport’s premier level.
— NASCAR.com—
We decided the Hail Melon Wall should be preserved…. Was only right to give @RossChastain the honor of removing it. 💪 pic.twitter.com/YVxLDPDjQF
— Martinsville Speedway (@MartinsvilleSwy) March 7, 2023
Signed. Sealed. Delivered. ✍️@RossChastain left his mark on us. pic.twitter.com/V09K2JbisS
— Martinsville Speedway (@MartinsvilleSwy) March 7, 2023
Previous post: Racing will return to Martinsville in April for a 3-day weekend of races starting with the NASCAR Truck Series on April 14, the Xfinity Series on April 15, and the Cup Series on April 16.
Until then, the “stripe” [from the final lap of the fall race] in Turns 3 and 4, put there by the incredible move by [Ross] Chastain, will remain for fans who want to go by the track and see where history was made in front of a sold out crowd.
“It’s going to stay up until race week in April,” Campbell said of the markings on the wall left by Chastain. “We’ve got so many people stopping by here, taking pictures. It’s an historical moment, and we’re going to do our best to preserve it all that we can.
“It was one move that go so much exposure, not only for Martinsville Speedway, but for the sport… That move will go down in history and it will be there forever.”