NASCAR Driver Uses Video Game-Inspired Trick On Final Lap, And It Actually Worked

A NASCAR driver used a trick he learned playing a 2005 NASCAR video game for GameCube to pull off an incredible last-lap maneuver to secure himself a spot in the Championship Finals. Driver Ross Chastain, 29, cranked his car into fifth gear, slammed it into the wall, and ended up passing multiple drivers on his way to finishing fourth at Sunday’s 500-lap Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

As you can see in the video below, Chastain intentionally drove his car into the wall on the final lap to perform a “wall-ride” that he learned playing GameCube. The tactic was so successful that it helped Chastain finish fourth to earn himself the final playoff spot, edging out Denny Hamlin.

“I played a lot of NASCAR 2005 on the GameCube,” Chastain said in a post-race interview. “I never knew if it would actually work [in real life]. I did that when I was eight years old. I just made the choice. I grabbed fifth gear… and fully committed. Once I got against the wall, I basically let go of the wheel…”

NBC Sports reported that Chastain’s “crazy, rarely seen strategy” on the final lap involved cranking the car “beyond its limits” and riding the outside wall. He passed five cars in the process. Chastain finished the final lap in 18.845 seconds, which was a new record for the speedway.

The video is incredibly dramatic and wild to watch, as the video game tactic clearly works. Now, this was a last-ditch effort and things could have gone wrong and badly, not to mention that this tactic wouldn’t presumably have worked beyond a single lap. But it worked, and Chastain is moving on to this weekend’s Series Championship.

Kyle Larson, the winner of 2021’s Cup Series Championship, criticized Chastain’s strategy, something he himself tried in 2021. He told the Associated Press it was “just a bad look” for Chastain to do this.

Another driver, Joey Logano, said Chastain’s strategy was “spectacular.” But he said it sets a bad example and opens the door for other drivers to try it in upcoming races. He called for NASCAR to implement a rule against wall-riding.

“I mean, it was awesome, it was cool. It happened for the first time. There’s no rule against it. There needs to be a rule against this one because I don’t know if you want the whole field riding the wall coming to the checkered flag,” he said.