NASCAR driver stuns racing fans with a move he learned playing Nintendo

Fans and other drivers were astounded by the move, which allowed Ross Chastain to pass five cars in the final lap of the NASCAR race.

Let this be a lesson, kids — those hours spent playing video games can result in an excellent real-life payoff.

That was the case for one quick-thinking NASCAR driver, Ross Chastain, who said he used an old trick he learned while playing Nintendo GameCube as a kid to help him ensure his season would continue.

The maneuver happened Oct. 30 during the Xfinity 500 race at Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Va.

During the final lap of the race, Chastain was in 10th place position but needed to place in the top eight racers to earn enough points to qualify for the upcoming championship race on Nov. 6.

Racers are usually forced to slow down for the track’s notorious tight and shallow-banked turns, but Chastain had another plan in his back pocket.

“I played a lot of NASCAR 2005 on the GameCube with (my brother) growing up, and you can get away with it, and I never knew if it would actually work,” he told NBC Sports of his decision to put his car into fifth gear and floor it, sending his car riding along the outside wall.

The maneuver paid off, and Chastain was able to pass five cars, finishing the race in fifth place.