Chastain wall ride

[R. Pare]

Wondered for years why no one ever tried this!

Also wonder if Nascar will now come up with a rule that outlaws it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXa9K6RiMw4

[billtebbutt]

Sheer genius. Not wearing a balaclava, not so much. But that was one mean move!!!!!!!!!!

cheers,
BT

[RussMcB]

I'm sure they'll introduce a new rule, but I'm really curious how they will word it.

I watched live (on TV) and was shocked, shocked, I tell you. :-). It still looks like it is being shown in fast motion. I'm really impressed, and I wonder if he's thought about that move in the past. It doesn't seem like a spur of the moment, initial idea.

I've heard others have done something similar (Kyle Larson in a truck on dirt last year?), but haven't seen it.

It helps a lot to have someone else paying for your ride, and repairs. I don't think I'll try it. :-)

I like it better than Zanardi's move in the corkscrew.

[Hardingfv32]

Wondered for years why no one ever tried this!

I am very impressed that you had thought of this before!

I was impressed that the tires stayed inflated and that he drove back to the pits. I believe the cars now have fiberglass body panels.

Brian

[alangbaker]

I'm surprised it hasn't been done before now.

I've had the thought for years that it might be within the rules of a closed wheel class like NASCAR to include small wheels or some kind of rubbing block to do just this kind of maneuver, but with less damage to the car.

[problemchild]

There will be a rule in the future, but NASCAR made Sports Center and generated all the social media attention.
That is all that matters today.

[stonebridge20]

Chastain made Maverick going inverted to flip off a Russian Mig pilot look like child's play.

Possibly the ballsiest move I've ever seen in motorsports.

[DanW]

Install a large caster wheel on a bracket just behind the right front and rear corner bumper covers. Wrap with thin vinyl. Touch the wall and the casters do their job just like the "record breakers" battery operated toy cars.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/18547103194...YAAOSwquxir5~m

[R. Pare]

I'm surprised it hasn't been done before now.

I've had the thought for years that it might be within the rules of a closed wheel class like NASCAR to include small wheels or some kind of rubbing block to do just this kind of maneuver, but with less damage to the car.

Same here - and there are no rules against it!

There will be now.....

[R. Pare]

I wonder how many G's he pulled doing that!

[R. Pare]

I'm surprised it hasn't been done before now.

The only person I've ever read about using the walls to turn was Sterling Moss using the snowbanks when coming down a mountain pass during a rally when the road was glare ice. His comment to his co-driver was "Well, we can't stop, so we may as well press on!". He made up 10 minutes on that descent........

That's what made me think about wall-running a few years later.

[RussMcB]

I wonder how many G's he pulled doing that!

Good question. I *think* they said his last lap was 2 seconds faster than a qualifying lap.

On edit: Found this via Google:

Data from Chastain’s car reveals that its peak speed through Turns 3 and 4 on the last lap was 50 mph faster than a normal lap.

Chastain's final lap was 18.845 seconds. Larson's time of 19.709 seconds

[problemchild]

It is quite common to use the snowbanks as guide rails in ice racing. You just run the bank and carve it back every lap and it gets faster and faster. I had shaped bumpers to help. But ...... what happens when someone else messes up the bank, you hook a wheel, or just carry too much speed, is you hook the bank and it launches you up the bank, usually landing on your roof or side. It is a reasonable risk on ice as you are rarely exceeding 50-60 mph, and there are not spectators on the other side of the bank. Red flag, turnover the car, and resume racing.

Clearly, this is just one of the safety concerns of allowing 3500 lb cars to run the walls.

[FVRacer21]

I understand they had done this before in the video games, but you would have to have a lot of faith in the guy who put the Safer Barrier together that there were no missing screws or loose parts that could hook the car. Just look up Michael Waltrip Crash at Bristol Motor Speedway for what could have happened.

I am sure some of the "Darlington stripes" were deliberate in the past and of course bump drafting is encouraged...

Of course if Nascar wants to play off of this, 90 degree banking. and Red Bull loop the loops might make good entertainment. Maybe a joker jump in the infield to spice things up.

But Nascar does not have to come out with a new rule - next race everyone will dive to the outside to block this move and then we will see the big one at Martinsville...

ChrisZ

[R. Pare]

On one of the sports network pages, they calculated that he was pulling a bit over 5 G's!

[grapefarmeral]

I'm sure Richie Evans is smiling......

[Purple Frog]

Probably possible because the new version Cup car is more robust than the previous edition.

[mikey]

it all only reinforces my decades-long stance that NASCAR is WWF on wheels and nothing more. Dumbest move I've ever seen, only encouraged by prior video game success when he was a kid and enabled by the tanks they drive around masquerading as race cars. He tooks his hands off the wheel and used 5th gear, which isn't normally used there. He was not in control of the car. He's very lucky nobody was injured.

the media attention and the money that follows this nonsense to fame isn't worth it. should the whole pack ride the wall next time on the final lap? good grief, I hope I never see that again.

but TBH, I wouldn't have seen it, except that it became instant infamous so it was in my face. I surely don't watch NASCAR on purpose.

[R. Pare]

I'm sure Richie Evans is smiling......

As well as Smokey Yunick!

[DaveW]

On one of the sports network pages, they calculated that he was pulling a bit over 5 G's!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Marty Nygard]

The only person I've ever read about using the walls to turn was Sterling Moss using the snowbanks when coming down a mountain pass during a rally when the road was glare ice. His comment to his co-driver was "Well, we can't stop, so we may as well press on!". He made up 10 minutes on that descent........

That's what made me think about wall-running a few years later.

When I was a youth and having fun with ice racing, the snow bank (wall) was generally part of the race track; more like billiards than steady state turning!
M

[Chris Livengood]

It will obviously get outlawed. Imagine if he ended up in the stands for that stunt. It is an impressive and certainly noteworthy move that worked out, luckily.

[rockbeau25]

Why was a caution not thrown the moment a car went into the wall?

[DaveW]

Why was a caution not thrown the moment a car went into the wall?

IMO, because the car still appeared to be "under control" and no parts came off to litter the track. Also since it was on the last lap, there was little time (5-7 seconds?) to react. I'm sure the officials were as thunderstruck as everyone else.

[toolo4sno]

it all only reinforces my decades-long stance that NASCAR is WWF on wheels and nothing more. Dumbest move I've ever seen, only encouraged by prior video game success when he was a kid and enabled by the tanks they drive around masquerading as race cars. He tooks his hands off the wheel and used 5th gear, which isn't normally used there. He was not in control of the car. He's very lucky nobody was injured.

the media attention and the money that follows this nonsense to fame isn't worth it. should the whole pack ride the wall next time on the final lap? good grief, I hope I never see that again.

but TBH, I wouldn't have seen it, except that it became instant infamous so it was in my face. I surely don't watch NASCAR on purpose.

I am glad someone has the balls to says this. I see many more positive comments out there than WTF.

While it was "amazing" in the sense that we've never seen it in real live racing before it was also effective. It required no talent, was dangerous to everyone around and made a mockery of good hard racing. He took his hands off of the wheel and pinned the throttle. There isn't a reset button out there in the real world people. There also was a time (maybe 5 years ago) when saying "that was a real video game move" was a solid insult.

My biggest concern about this whole thing is someone in the amateur ranks thinking this will work for them. I don't frequent too many tracks with walls setup like that and with open wheel there aren't those kind of kamikaze moves, but when it works for the pros others will replicate. Verstappen's over aggressive moves and Vettel bouncing off Hamilton at Baku are other examples of crap driving in the racing league I do watch.

[billtebbutt]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5Gs! I was a passenger years ago in a lightweight acrobatic aircraft being flown by a recently retired Canadian Armed Forces fighter pilot (yes, we do still have a few!). Bottoming out of a loop, the g-meter recorded 5.2 - it was incredibly difficult to keep my head upright!!!! So this dude in the car was pinned hard against the RHS of the seat - I would wonder about his ability, at 5G, to be able to effect any driver inputs had they been needed.....

cheers,
bt

[t walgamuth]

As well as Smokey Yunick!

IIRRC the wild man of Nascar, Curtis Turner brought home one of smokey's cars on three wheels dragging half the front end back to the pits so he would not have to walk so far.
Smokey was not amused at the destruction of a car he owned.

[t walgamuth]

5Gs! I was a passenger years ago in a lightweight acrobatic aircraft being flown by a recently retired Canadian Armed Forces fighter pilot (yes, we do still have a few!). Bottoming out of a loop, the g-meter recorded 5.2 - it was incredibly difficult to keep my head upright!!!! So this dude in the car was pinned hard against the RHS of the seat - I would wonder about his ability, at 5G, to be able to effect any driver inputs had they been needed.....

cheers,
bt

I am doubtful of pulling 5 gs on the wall.

[RussMcB]

I am doubtful of pulling 5 gs on the wall.

Check this out:

https://nascar.nbcsports.com/2022/10...ross-chastain/

It seems to show it actually was 5G's.

[Mark_Silverberg]

It is a fairly simple calculation with Acceleration = speed*speed / corner radius

Assuming a corner entry speed of about 120 mph and a corner radius of 202 feet it is about 4.2 g

However on the Dale Jr. Download podcast it was mentioned that the last telemetry data for the in car speed sensor before it got destroyed was above 130 mph which would put it closer to 5 g

In addition the 202 feet is the radius of the outside of the corner - the acceleration where the driver sat would be slightly higher as the radius traveled was less

Ross said it was very unpleasant and that he never wants to do it again.

[racingflyboy]

I like an idea one of my old racer buddies came up with. Since Chastian "perfected" this move on video games, let's go a bit old school. Pin Ball flippers! Yes, have a few of them positioned around the track, then when someone tries this, an official hits the Flipper switch! Now, IMHO, THAT would add some excitement! Maybe I'd even watch NASCAR again, after a decades long hiatus!

[DaveW]

...In addition the 202 feet is the radius of the outside of the corner - the acceleration where the driver sat would be slightly higher as the radius traveled was less...

Actually, his lateral accel would have been a bit less, since the velocity at his seat was less by the same % as the radius since the car was rotating at the same rate as the trajectory. Accel = (v^2)/r.

Not that the difference is significant - it's still effing amazing that it worked and nobody got hurt.

[Robins Ken]

Amazingly stupid. If the heroic 5g's wiped out other cars or spectators, then what?
NASCAR? Waste of oxygen and hydro. Not to mention my time.

[DaveW]

I watch very little of the NASCAR races because they're mostly boring wreck-fests. However, I can't really blame Chastain for "going for it" since that was the only way he could have made the finals. We all take risks every time we race - this was a (for now) legal, high-risk, experiment, and it worked.

Although we certainly regard it differently, running flat-out 230-mph qualifying laps at Indy with a car that is on the edge and feels like it is a tick away from spinning into the wall is not that different from what Chastain did. Either one could end badly, and at Indy often does.

I'm sure there will be a rule created to prevent it's ever happening again, because I do agree with Ken that it could have resulted in a major wreck.

[MrJackson]

Apart from the obvious damage to the car, has anyone mentioned the damage to the facility? I suspect the track owners are a bit concerned right now. NASCAR should tell Ross, "Great move dude, but don't do it again. Ever."

[bob darcey]

We shouldn't underestimate the marketing value. I stopped watching NASCAR years ago, but my daughter (who lives in Burundi, Africa and has NEVER watched a NASCAR race) texted me about Chastain's wall ride. It lit up the Interrnet and exposed NASCAR to millions of non-fans. That alone is worth far more than the damage to the car or the wall .

[pacratt]

Not that I'm in favor this type of "driving" tactic (actually, 100% against it) but isn't anyone old enough to remeber David Pearson & the good-ol'-boys ridin' the guardrails at Darlington?
Glenn

[t walgamuth]

they rubbed it not rode it.

[Steve Demeter]

The "Darlington Stripe"

[t walgamuth]

At what length does a rub become a ride?