NASCAR bans Tamiya-style overtaking

Last year, a NASCAR driver named Ross Chastain pulled off something that's called a “Pro gamer move” that we thought would never work in real life.

But it did.

On the final lap and final corner of a championship race in the Martinsville speedway, Chastain deliberately rode his car along the wall at full throttle. And in the process, he was able to gain five positions in one corner, save his title chances, set a new lap record, and ultimately, beat his main rival in the championship standings. Yes, Ross Chastain literally went full send.

Without any regulation banning such a move, Chastain was not penalized for doing the epic move, and was able to keep his finishing position. But now that the 2023 season is about to start, the governing body of NASCAR has stepped in to prevent other drivers from making the same overtaking move that Chastain did.

While the move was indeed a thrilling one, NASCAR felt they would face the inevitable possibility of more cars slamming into walls at the end of races, increasing the safety risk. Because of this, NASCAR officials stated they will issue “a time penalty to any vehicle that attempts an unsafe maneuver like Chastain’s”.

NASCAR did not add a new rule but instead that it falls under the rule 10.5.2.6.A, which states: “Safety is a top priority for NASCAR and NEM (NASCAR Event Management). Therefore, 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 highest degree of seriousness. Safety violations will be handled on a case-by-case basis.”

Well, it was fun while it lasted.