First test of Hail Melon rule knocks Bell out of Championship 4
RIDGEWAY, Va. — The first real test of the Hail Melon rule played out Sunday in the same place where it all started.
On the final lap of the final race before the Championship 4, in turn four at Martinsville Speedway, exactly where Ross Chastain rode the outside wall in the Hail Melon move to get into the Championship 4, Christopher Bell did almost the same thing Sunday.
Unlike Chastain, Bell entered the corner sideways underneath Bubba Wallace, who he raced for 18th and the point he needed. Bell cleared Wallace, then slid up the track and hit the wall before gassing up and riding it on the exit of turn four.
In the end, he earned the point he needed to get into the Championship 4 but not for long.
In early-2023, NASCAR banned the Hail Melon and similar moves, citing rule 10.5.2.6.A.
Fast forward to Sunday and officials deemed Bell’s move “a safety violation,” citing that rule. As a result, they moved Bell from 18th to 22nd, the last spot on his respective lap, causing him to miss the Championship 4 by four points, instead of making it on a tiebreaker.
“I understand that the rule is made to prevent people from riding the wall but my move was completely different than Ross’s was. I got loose getting into the corner and slid right into the fence,” Bell said. “So, yea, I mean, I don’t know what else to say.”
Getting into the Championship 4 because of the call made William Byron happy. Byron made the Championship 4 by four points.
Up front, Ryan Blaney won and secured his second consecutive Championship 4 berth, knocking Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson out after passing both of them in the final 88-lap green flag run to the checkers.
- Ryan Blaney WIN
- Tyler Reddick WIN
- Joey Logano WIN
- William Byron +4 points to the cutline
- Christopher Bell -4 points to the cutline
- Kyle Larson -7
- Denny Hamlin -24
- Chase Elliott -44
Like Blaney, this is the second consecutive Championship 4 berth for Byron. For Reddick and Logano, it is their first and sixth berths respectively.
Byron and Reddick are each looking for their first NASCAR Cup Series championship. Blaney is looking to become the first back-to-back champion since Jimmie Johnson’s historic run in 2006-10. Logano is looking to become a three-time champion.
NEXT: Phoenix Raceway, 3 p.m. ET; NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (312 laps)
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Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com