{"id":1548564,"date":"2023-02-01T14:03:46","date_gmt":"2023-02-01T19:03:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/?p=1548564"},"modified":"2023-02-01T14:06:48","modified_gmt":"2023-02-01T19:06:48","slug":"nascar-cleverly-banned-ross-chastain-hail-melon-flurry-of-announcements","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/nascar-cleverly-banned-ross-chastain-hail-melon-flurry-of-announcements\/","title":{"rendered":"NASCAR Cleverly Banned Ross Chastain\u2019s \u2018Hail Melon\u2019 in a Flurry of Other Announcements"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What Ross Chastain did at Martinsville<\/a> last fall will go down in Cup Series history as one of the slickest moves ever. It\u2019s almost in a class with the fast one NASCAR<\/a> tried pulling on Tuesday with its truckload of changes to the rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By and large, everything NASCAR announced was a step in the right direction. But the decision to wait three months to address Chastain\u2019s maneuver feels calculated to minimize blowback from fans looking forward to seeing other drivers try it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The package of other NASCAR rule changes is strong<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Ross
Ross Chastain runs along the wall through Turn 4 on the final lap of the NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at Martinsville on Oct. 30, 2022. | Jeff Robinson\/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s hard to recall the last time NASCAR announced as many changes to non-technical rules<\/a> as it did on Tuesday. The timing \u2013five days before the Busch Light Clash \u2013 made it that much more impactful since fans are fired up about the impending start of the season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the biggest changes are adjustments to the penalties for wheels coming loose following pit stops, the termination of stage breaks for most races on road courses across the three national series, and nailing down the specifics on which tracks can conduct wet-weather racing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All constitute wins for fans. Applying the choose rule to superspeedways and nuking the top-30 rule for playoff eligibility can\u2019t be considered earth-shattering, but both are understandable as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ross Chastain\u2019s \u2018Hail Melon\u2019 has been formally banned<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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NASCAR says this will never happen again & makes it an illegal move \u2b07\ufe0f @RossChastain<\/a> @MartinsvilleSwy<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/hM1MLDgCkX<\/a><\/p>— SpeedFreaks (@SpeedFreaks) January 31, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote>