Three years later, Ross Chastain’s “Hail Melon” remains inscribed in NASCAR folklore, a move so happening that it became both his trademark and one of the sport’s most iconic highlights. Even with milestones like his Coca-Cola 600 victory at Charlotte this season, Chastain admits that the wall-riding miracle still overshadows the rest of his résumé.
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Many assume his fondness for Martinsville stems from that viral moment. However, the Trackhouse Racing driver insists there’s more to it than nostalgia.
Next Sunday, Chastain, eliminated from this year’s playoffs after the Round of 12 with one win, three top-fives, and 11 top-tens, returns to Martinsville, where he holds an average finish of 17.6 across 13 starts. When asked whether he enjoys racing there, he said,
“Martinsville has been pretty good to me since driving for Trackhouse. Obviously, I’ve had one of the biggest moments of my career there, but we’ve been consistently strong there over the last few years. Whatever Phil Surgen does to the car, it really fits my driving style there.”
He added, “I can remember going to race at Martinsville just a few years with a car that had parts and pieces the other teams were throwing away, so I’ve definitely come a long way, and it’s so much fun to drive a fast car at Martinsville.”
Beyond the racing, Chastain relishes the journey itself. “I enjoy driving to the track instead of getting on a plane and flying. It’s a great drive, especially in the fall with all of the leaves changing, and then you arrive in Martinsville and the track sits down the hill, it’s really cool,” he said.
For Chastain, Martinsville offers more than just good racing; it’s a place that integrates performance with peace. He’s finished in the top ten in his last two appearances there, both in the spring race and last year’s Xfinity 500, despite starting from 17th and 22nd.
But as he heads back to the paperclip this weekend, the Trackhouse driver will be chasing more than another scenic drive; he’ll be hunting a win at the track that turned him into a household name.
