When Ross Chastain ran over Denny Hamlin and reversed throughout the end line on Sunday on the Charlotte Roval, it was simply the most recent in a prolonged historical past of determined drivers doing determined issues when confronted with playoff elimination.
Chastain has achieved it earlier than, as everyone knows his well-known ‘wallride’ from the 2022 season. However different drivers, together with former champions, have achieved every part from deliberately wrecking rivals to damaging their very own automobiles in an try and get preserve their title hopes alive.
Publish race brawl between the crews of Jeff Gordon and Brad Keselowski
Photograph by: Motion Sports activities Pictures
Within the first 12 months of the elimination-style format, Keselowski restarted third with only a few laps to go. In an try and win his means into the championship finale, the Penske driver compelled it up the center, making contact with Jeff Gordon. That resulted in a minimize tire and a spin for Gordon. In the end, neither driver superior into the ultimate 4 that 12 months. After the race, a wild pit highway brawl unfolded as Kevin Harvick shoved Keselowski in the direction of a livid Gordon. As soon as he obtained maintain of Keselowski, the struggle was on in one of many wildest playoff moments in NASCAR historical past.
Ryan Newman partitions Kyle Larson to make inaugural Championship 4 (2014)
The 4 drivers for the 2014 Dash Cup: Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Ryan Newman, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, Joey Logano, Staff Penske Ford, Kevin Harvick, Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet
Photograph by: NASCAR Media
Additionally within the first season of the playoffs, Newman hoped to upend the system by making all of it the best way to the finale with out profitable a single race in the course of the 2014 season. He wanted one spot within the Spherical of 8 cutoff race at Phoenix, and so, he purposely pushed Larson into the surface wall and punched his ticket to the finale. Newman ended up second in factors, practically profitable the title with out even profitable a race.
Kevin Harvick stays out with a failing engine…at Talladega (2015)
Talladega restart crash
Photograph by: Getty Photographs
In 2015, Harvick’s engine was failing him within the Spherical of 12 cutoff race at Talladega. Initially, he pulled out of line, however after a fast incident pushed the race to its ultimate GWC restart (earlier than infinite additional time rule), Harvick made a distinct resolution that raised eyebrows. He stayed in line, after which drifted to the suitable, making contact with Trevor Bayne and igniting a race-ending crash that saved his playoff hopes. Some drivers claimed he did it deliberately, however Harvick denied that and nothing got here of it. He went on to complete second within the championship standings.
Kyle Larson drags destroyed race automobile into subsequent spherical (2018)
Within the 2018 Spherical of 16 cutoff race on the Roval, Jimmie Johnson was going to advance if he completed second, however he actually needed that checkered flag. A determined transfer into the frontstretch chicane ended with each himself and race chief Martin Truex Jr. spinning. Johnson was in by one level even after that, however not everybody had crossed the road. Whereas Jeffrey Earnhardt sat stalled out on the frontstretch, the utterly destroyed No. 42 of Larson got here barreling via the ultimate corners far behind the sphere, smashing into the wall as he was unable to show. He slammed the wall once more on the exit of the chicane, dragging his automobile throughout the road and eradicated Johnson. Larson was eradicated within the following spherical.
Joey Logano moved Truex to win the battle, and later the conflict (2018)
Additionally in 2018, Logano was in place to win his means into the Championship 4, however he wanted to discover a means round Truex. As a substitute, he determined to undergo him, working over Truex and profitable the race in a contact-filled end that left the defending champion livid. “He might win the battle, however he ain’t profitable the rattling conflict,” warned Truex. In fact, he gained each as Logano went on to beat Truex within the finale and declare his first of three Cup titles.
Kevin Harvick deliberately wrecks Kyle Busch, and himself (2020)
Watch: Elliott wins, Harvick spins Busch and comes up brief
In an incident near what we noticed this previous weekend on the Roval, Harvick was dealing with Spherical of 8 elimination at Martinsville regardless of profitable 9 races that 12 months. He wanted one level, and sadly for Kyle Busch, he was immediately in entrance of Harvick. Exiting the ultimate nook, Harvick deliberately turned Busch, however wrecked himself within the course of. Whereas Busch did an entire 360-degree spin and continued, Harvick’s playoff run ended as he crashed into the within wall.
Ross Chastain’s wallride that surprised the NASCAR world (2022)
Watch: See a number of angles of Chastain’s last-lap transfer to advance at Martinsville
Essentially the most well-known desperation transfer within the historical past of the playoffs belongs to Chastain himself. In 2022, he wanted a pair extra factors within the Spherical of 8 elimination race at Martinsville, however there was nobody shut sufficient. That is when he determined to upshift coming into the ultimate nook, planting his automobile in opposition to the surface wall and shattering the observe file as he rode alongside it in a spectacular transfer seen the world over. F1 World Champions have been praising him for his last-lap heroics as Chastain handed 5 automobiles together with Hamlin himself, vaulting himself into the championship race. He later stated that he let go of the wheel as his imaginative and prescient started to blur. The damaging maneuver, dubbed the ‘Hail Melon,’ helped him finish the 12 months second within the championship standings, however it was later banned for security causes.
Christopher Bell penalized as producer shenanigans unfold (2024)
In 2024, producers obtained a bit too concerned within the Spherical of 8 elimination race as a Chevrolet blockade fashioned behind William Byron. Quickly after, the Toyota of Bubba Wallace began to fade. Christopher Bell wanted one spot, and handed Wallace coming into the ultimate nook. Nevertheless, within the chaos of the second, he drifted out into the surface wall. Whereas he gained no floor after hitting the wall, the truth that he rode in opposition to it compelled NASCAR to penalize him. After a prolonged wait, Bell was thrown out of the Championship 4, giving the ultimate spot to Byron. Later within the week, NASCAR issued giant penalties to Wallace, in addition to the Chevrolets of Austin Dillon and Chastain for his or her position within the controversial end.
This one wants no refresher, however we’ll provide you with one anyway. Chastain got here again from two unforced errors on pit highway, remaining in rivalry for the ultimate switch spot in Sunday’s Spherical of 12 elimination race. Nevertheless, as soon as Hamlin handed him within the hairpin on the ultimate lap, he was going to lose on a tiebreaker. Getting into the ultimate chicane, Chastain jumped over the curbing and nailed the again of Hamlin’s automobile, spinning each automobiles out. He instantly threw it in reverse and backed throughout the road. Whereas he was profitable in passing Hamlin, Chastain a number of different spots within the course of and was eradicated by 4 factors.
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