Professional sports come in all different shapes and sizes and NASCAR is certainly included in the list. Undoubtedly, those who are part of this sport have some rare talents, but Ross Chastain has taken things to a whole new level.
He was able to increase his performance and qualify for the NASCAR championship, thanks to going from 10th place to fifth place. He did this using his unique skills, as well as using a move that he learned from playing video games.
In an unprecedented move that is not seen on the track (but is seen on the screen), Chastain pushes his car into the wall during the last lap. If you play video games, you may have won a few with this maneuver and he is now winning big time in NASCAR.
According to IFL Science, Chastain was asked where he came up with such a unique idea and he said that he had been thinking about it for some time. Back when he was eight years old, he played NASCAR 2005 on the GameCube with his little brother often. He used the move to win in the game but he wasn’t sure how it would do in real life.
After one of the winning races, he was interviewed and said: “I grabbed fifth gear, asked off of two on the last lap if we needed it, and we did. I couldn’t tell who was leading. I made the choice, grabbed fifth gear down the back. Full committed. Basically let go of the wheel, hoping I didn’t catch the turn four access gate or something crazy. But I was willing to do it.”
There is actually some science behind this last-ditch effort. Centrifugal force plays a big part in the physics of NASCAR, and it is what keeps the cars on the track when they are traveling around at breakneck speeds.
The force necessary to stay on the track is usually associated with the friction between the track and the tires. Drivers have to go slower when they enter a curve so they don’t go flying into the wall.
Rather than only relying on the friction between the tires and the track, Chastain decided to throw some extra friction by putting his car against the wall. In doing so, he could keep up a greater speed rather than slowing down going into the turn.
The other drivers had already dropped their speed as they went into the turn. Chastain was able to maintain his speed and push past them during the last lap of the race.
I guess if you’re going to win, you might as well win for the right reasons!
Check out the videos below:
UNBELIEVABLE!@RossChastain floors it along the wall to go from 10th to 5th and advance to the CHAMPIONSHIP! #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/9qX3eq7T6h
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) October 30, 2022
"I can't believe what I just saw." #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/Eqw7tyodZF
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) November 1, 2022