Ross Chastain (Not a photo of the actual event.)
And, just like in a video game, the move helped him move way up in the rankings.
He recalled playing a lot ofNASCAR 2005on GameCube with his little brother.
Ross Chastain (Not a photo of the actual event.) (Photo: actionsports/123RF)
I couldn’t tell who was leading.
I made the choice, grabbed fifth gear down the back.
But I was willing to do it.
Photo: NASCAR via YouTube
Photo: NASCAR via YouTube
So why did it work?
Those who know basic physics may already have some idea.
Racing is all about centripetal force.
Without it, the large cars would simply fly off the track once they hit high speeds.
How much force do you better stay on the track?
Normally, during a race, the force is generated by the friction between the tires and the track.
Instead, Chastain decided that he’d use the friction between the wall and his car to create force.
This allowed him to maintain speed, instead of having to slow down.
This is why a move like this can really only be used on the last lap of a race.
The other drivers couldn’t believe what they were seeing.
h/t: [IFLScience!]
