We all remember that one time back in 2022 when NASCAR driver Ross Chastain decided to see if video-game physics worked in real life. Instead of braking for turn three at Martinsville Speedway on the very last lap of the race, he kept his foot on the gas and rode the wall, going from 10th place to 5th place, securing his spot in that year’s playoffs.
That series of passes remains the most legendary in all of NASCAR (at least by my recollection). It’s unlikely to be seen again, as NASCAR quickly moved to ban any such maneuver from competition at the beginning of the 2023 season.
From Motorsport.com:
“NASCAR will deem any future use of that maneuver as unsafe per Section 10.5.2.6.A of the NASCAR Rule Book. To ensure that our competitors do not employ strategies that may compromise the safety of themselves, other competitors or fans, NASCAR will issue a time penalty to any vehicle that attempts an unsafe maneuver such as the one performed at Martinsville.
Sorry, speedrunners, this glitch has been patched. It’s not that you can no longer wall-ride, but doing so would just be a waste of car parts, as you’d get hit with a penalty strong enough to erase any positions gained by the move. Unsurprisingly, no one’s done it since.
This weird crash from this past weekend’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway reminds me a lot of that moment, with an equally epic wall-ride. Sadly, the results weren’t nearly as impressive. The incident happened during an overtime rolling restart. The number 38 car, fielded by Front Row Motorsports and driven by Zane Smith, was bumped by the number 42 car of John Hunter Nemecheck. Both cars crashed, but Smith’s Ford did something strange. From Motorsport.com:
His car climbed up the wall, riding along the SAFER Barrier on its side before flipping multiple times. It landed on its wheels, but the huge crashed forced the race to be red-flagged. He climbed from the car and was able to walk away without issue.
Unlike Chastain’s iconic ride on the wall, Smith’s Ford actually got up on its side and rode the wall using the vehicle’s underside. And it’s not like it rode the wall for a few feet then fell over. Because the car was going so quickly when it crashed, it was able to skirt the barriers for at least 100 feet before eventually toppling over. The visuals are incredible.
It’s worth mentioning that Smith wasn’t attempting to actually ride the wall here—he just happened to find himself there after an unfortunate fender bender. It’s too bad the SAFER Barriers weren’t tall enough to accommodate the Ford’s full track width. Otherwise, I’m sure Smith would’ve chucked the car back in gear, dug into the throttle, and ridden that wall all the way to the finish line.
A note to NASCAR officials: Please make the barriers taller. Not only will that make things safer, but it’ll also allow all four wheels to touch when drivers like Smith end up on their sides with an opportunity to do something really cool.
Top GIF: NASCAR via Instagram
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