Ross Chastain’s Martinsville manoeuvre is now against the rules.
NASCAR announced on Tuesday that Chastain’s successful wall-riding manoeuvre to qualify for the championship race would not be allowed in the future. Chastain kept his foot on the accelerator and drove toward the wall on the penultimate lap of the race, passing enough cars to be one of four drivers competing for the championship in the season’s final race.
And now, according to NASCAR’s rules, “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 utmost seriousness.” Safety infractions will be addressed on an individual basis.
Because of its success, Chastain’s action created a conundrum for NASCAR officials. Chastain set the quickest Cup Series lap time ever at Martinsville by surfing the wall. Essentially, it was too excellent to remain legal. If a driver attempts what Chastain did, he or she will face a time penalty.
Other NASCAR rule revisions in 2023
Stage breaks on road courses will be eliminated for the 2019 season, which is a positive regulation adjustment. NASCAR’s stage racing system, which was debuted in 2017, has ruined the strategy part of road course racing due to its planned cautions. While road course races will still have three stages and the top ten drivers will receive points at the end of the first two stages, there will be no stage cautions.
It would have been ideal if NASCAR had abolished stage breaks at all tracks where drivers could make a green-flag pit stop without losing a lap, such as Pocono, Daytona, and Talladega, to aid in strategy. However, the simple removal of stage warnings should make Cup Series road course racing much more enjoyable to watch.
Crew chiefs will no longer be banned for four races if their cars lose a wheel during a race. If a car’s wheel breaks off while on the track, the team will be penalized two laps, and two crew members will be suspended for two races. The use of a single wheel hub on the cars in 2022 resulted in a rash of loose wheels, particularly at the start of the season.
If the wheel falls away on pit road, the team will receive either a pass-through or an end-of-field penalty.
Leave a Reply