“Hail Melon” Ban Headlines Massive 2023 NASCAR Rule Changes

The thing that separates motorsports from other kinds of sports is the fact that it is evolving very rapidly in terms of its rules, regulations, and “equipment.” A simple reason for this could be that it is based on going as fast as possible while also preventing terrible things that can happen when going fast goes wrong. Not many would argue that this does not apply to NASCAR.

In this century alone, the sport has gone through a lot of reforms, and a lot of regulatory and technology-based changes. Think about it—there have already been four different generations of cars in the 21st century.

In a similar vein, NASCAR has introduced some changes heading into the 2023 season. They aren’t necessarily major changes as most of them are problem-solving in approach while some are direct responses to criticism from fans, experts, and industry insiders.

NASCAR eliminates stage breaks on road courses

From the 2023 season onwards, the races on road courses won’t have stage cautions. This decision came after a review of Fan Council Data and internal discussions. Having said that, the stage points will be awarded on the last lap of the stage. But there will not be any green-checkered flags at the end of stages so as to have better-flowing racing action.

NASCAR bans Ross Chastain’s “Hail Melon” move

Much to the protest and disagreement from fans, NASCAR has decided to ban the “Hail Melon” move Ross Chastain sensationally pulled off at Martinsville to book his ticket in the final four.

But instead of adding a new rule, what’s being done is that the rule 10.5.2.6.A is being brought forward, 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.”

So now, should any driver attempt to pull a move like Chastain’s in the future, they will be issued a time penalty.

“Choose rule” to be in effect at superspeedways & dirt races

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In the 2023 season, for all the races that take place on superspeedways and dirt tracks, the Choose Rule will be in effect. The rule allows high-ranked drivers in each row to choose their own lane during a restart.

This rule was first introduced in 2020, but it wasn’t in effect for superspeedway and dirt racing.

Crew Chiefs set to avoid a four-race suspension for a loose wheel

One of the biggest talking points in the past season was the penalties that were given to crew chiefs whenever there was an error in a pit stop—in particular, whenever a wheel fell off from the car post a wheel change.

Crew chiefs and crew members used to get suspended for four races because of the new rules despite protests from several industry insiders.

But going forward, the penalty for such an incident has been reduced to a pass-through penalty under a green flag. If the wheel of a car goes off after the car has left the pit lane, it will attract a two-lap penalty and a two-race suspension for two crew members.

Rules for playoff eligibility changed in all three series

In order for a driver to be eligible for the playoffs, they will now have to take part in every event to maintain their eligibility. Before this, the rule was that the drivers in the top 30 (Cup) and top 20 (Xfinity & Truck) were considered eligible for the playoffs.

This new rule will be in effect from the 2023 season and will be the same for all three series. However, if a driver has been given a waiver by NASCAR, the rule won’t apply.

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Additional/other rule changes for 2023

Along with all the aforementioned rules, there are a few more rules that have been updated or changed for the 2023 NASCAR season. They are as follows.

•  The Restart Zone length of the first five races of the season is to be increased by 50%.
• Pit stalls will be highlighted with new orange markings on the pit road so officials can take better calls when deciding to penalize a driver who may have interfered with other team’s pit crews on the pit road.
• The new duration for the Damaged Vehicle Policy procedure is now 7 minutes.

All these new rules and updated regulations will come into effect from the 2023 season. That being said, do you agree with all the calls NASCAR has made? Or is there something you’d still change in them?

Let us know in the comments below.

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