Chastain’s wall-ride transfer authorized for now, says NASCAR

In an interview on Tuesday morning, on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s present “The Morning Drive,” NASCAR’s chief working officer, Steve O’Donnell, made clear Chastain’s transfer was “throughout the guidelines.”

Determined to make up positions on the ultimate lap of Sunday’s race at Martinsville Speedway, Chastain entered Flip 3 full-throttle and intentionally drove into the SAFER barrier to rim-ride Turns 3 and 4.

He was shockingly profitable – vastly rising his pace and incomes 5 positions in two turns which allowed him to edge Denny Hamlin for the ultimate spot within the Championship 4 this weekend at Phoenix.

Whereas the right-side of Chastain’s #1 Chevrolet suffered some injury it didn’t even appear to be it had been in a significant accident.

His remaining lap was timed at 18.845 seconds. The quickest earlier lap within the race was set on Lap 7 of 500 by Kyle Larson (20.508 seconds).

The transfer has truly been tried earlier than in NASCAR competitors – most just lately by Larson towards Hamlin at Darlington in September 2021 – however by no means efficiently.

“As with something you see for a primary time, you’ve received to have a look. We’ve had a lot of discussions internally about that transfer and what-ifs,” O’Donnell mentioned.

Ross Chastain, TrackHouse Racing, Moose Fraternity Chevrolet Camaro launches his automotive into the wall to hurry round Flip 4 to cross Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing, FedEx Freight Direct Toyota Camry

Picture by: Lesley Ann Miller / Motorsport Photographs

“That’s throughout the guidelines, and imagine that’s the place we’ll be for Phoenix, as effectively, after which one thing we are able to consider within the low season.”

A viral second

The transfer has garnered consideration – each reward and criticism – from followers, rivals and even rivals in different sports activities.

A number of drivers after the race congratulated Chastain on its ingenuity however hoped NASCAR would outlaw the observe for worry drivers would use it at Phoenix this weekend or sooner or later.

That won’t be the case at the very least for now.

“At this level in taking a look at it, it was a transfer throughout the bounds of the rule e book,” O’Donnell mentioned, “and (we) actually don’t assume it’s proper to regulate the principles when for 35 factors races we’ve been a method and throw a wrinkle in it for the thirty sixth.”