TMZSports.com
NASCAR star Ross Chastain says he’s honored that his iconic wall-riding stunt is now banned in the rule book … telling TMZ Sports, “I’m proud that I’ll be the first and last guy to successfully do it.
Remember, the 30-year-old Trackhouse Racing driver went viral for his video game-inspired move at Martinsville Speedway last year … when he shot from 10th place to 5th on the final lap to secure his spot in the Championship 4 by hitting the wall to reach insane speed to cross the finish line
While the move was considered legal at the time, NASCAR recently emphasized its rules to make sure the stunt isn’t replicated in the future.
“I’m good with it,” Chastain told Lucas Widman ahead of the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum. “I’m proud that I’ve got a rule named after me, right?”
Chastain explained his inspiration for the move after the race … saying he “played a lot of NASCAR 2005 on the GameCube” when he was 8 years old.
The wall-ride is now explicitly stated as a big no-no in the rule book, and Chastain says it’s a tip of the cap to his team … and their ability to push his car to the limits.
“Played a lot of NASCAR 2005 on the GameCube.”@RossChastain explained his video-game move. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/4jkF6BzAgk
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) October 30, 2022
@NASCARonNBC
“I take it as a badge of honor that I want my crew chief and my engineers and my mechanics pushing the limits of the car — I don’t want to break the rules, but I want them to have to write new rules and explain things more clearly where we might find a gray area on the car.”
As for whether he’d ever try the move again … and he makes it clear it was a one-time thing.
“I don’t want to do it again,” Chastain said. “I don’t want to see guys doing it. And, I’m proud that I’ll be the first and last guy to successfully do it.”
NASCAR is in Los Angeles on Sunday for the race at the L.A. Coliseum … and it’s safe to say no one will be purposely slamming into the wall.