Ross Chastain’s “Hail Melon” wasn’t just a pass; it was a full-throttle fever dream that rewrote NASCAR’s playbook. On the final lap of Martinsville’s 2022 playoff race, Chastain mashed the gas, pinned his No. 1 Trackhouse Chevy to the outside wall, and rode the SAFER barrier through Turns 3 and 4 like a rocket on rails.

The move vaulted him past five cars, snagged a Championship 4 spot, and instantly birthed a legend. Dubbed “Hail Melon” for the way he “protected his melon” while hugging the wall, the stunt blew up online, turning a split-second gamble into a pop-culture phenomenon.

On the third anniversary of this iconic move, Trackhouse didn’t let the moment fade. They preserved Chastain’s battle-scarred No. 1 car and, in a stroke of genius, snagged the exact chunk of Martinsville’s wall he shredded. Now, both sit proudly in the team’s lobby, a nose-to-wall diorama that’s half museum, half shrine. Fans can snap selfies with the car pressed against the battered barrier, reliving the audacity in 3D. It’s a bold flex, cementing Trackhouse as the team that doesn’t just race history but builds it into their headquarters.

The display does more than wow visitors. For fans, it’s a tangible slice of NASCAR lore, a chance to stand where chaos met courage. For Trackhouse, it’s a brand badge, the squad that birthed a move so wild it changed the rulebook. For Chastain, it’s a daily reminder of how one lap can redefine a career. The lobby setup screams identity: this is the team that dares, the driver who delivers, and the moment that made them icons.

The “Hail Melon” also stirred safety debates. NASCAR quickly banned wall-riding, citing risks and fairness, turning Ross Chastain’s masterpiece into a one-and-done. That tension, jaw-dropping skill versus sporting sanity, makes the exhibit resonate. It’s a frozen frame of a move too dangerous to repeat, a relic of a rulebook rewrite. The car and wall together aren’t just cool; they’re a conversation, a nod to a moment that thrilled, terrified, and transformed the sport in one wild lap.

Reddit’s racing faithful are eating it up, flooding threads with love for Trackhouse’s tribute and dreaming up ways to join the melon mania.

Fans go wild for Hail Melon shrine

Reddit’s NASCAR crowd is all in on Trackhouse’s “Hail Melon” homage, with fans geeking out over the lobby’s car-and-wall masterpiece. One quipped: “Can I come throw a watermelon off the wall?” The pun’s pure Chastain, his Melon Man vibe spawned endless fruit-fueled memes, but the wall’s a sacred relic, not a fruit-toss zone.

Martinsville cut out the exact Turns 3-4 section Chastain scorched, with his help, and it’s locked in Trackhouse’s display for posterity, not pranks. Fans can snap pics or grab Melon Man merch to keep the party going, no produce required.

Another fan gushed: “Neat! I’ll have to get over there and see it. The week after the race, they had the car on display on the shop floor and let folks walk around it.”

Spot-on nostalgia, Trackhouse rolled out the No. 1 for fan walkarounds post-race, a teaser for the full exhibit. The wall’s addition, pulled to pair with the car, makes it a history twofer, a public nod to a moment that flipped the 2022 playoffs and sparked a rules clampdown.

Merch regrets hit hard: “This absolutely rules so hard. Makes me wish I bought one of the ‘Haul the Wall’ shirts sold at his shop when it happened.” The “Hail Melon” frenzy birthed “Haul the Wall” tees and Melon Man gear that flew off shelves, some selling out fast.

Fans who missed the drop are kicking themselves, but the lobby’s live exhibit is the ultimate consolation prize, a wearable memory you can’t outrun.

Collectible dreams sparked: “gotta make a diecast set that comes with the car and the wall now.”

The hobby crowd’s already on it. Custom 1/64 and 1/24 dioramas pair mini No. 1s with tiny SAFER scraps or printed wall backdrops, filling the gap for an official “car + wall” set. The demand’s loud, proof that the “Hail Melon” still fuels fan fever years later.

The love wrapped up: “Cool that they get to keep the car and section of the wall together!” Trackhouse and Martinsville made it deliberate.

The car’s a showpiece, the wall’s the scar, united to tell the full story of Chastain’s gamble that shook the sport. It’s a history lesson in steel and rubber, a forever nod to a move that awed, outlawed, and still owns the lobby’s spotlight.