What began as aggressive driving on the track ended up with a punch being thrown after NASCAR’s AdventHealth 400 at the Kansas Speedway on Sunday.
The competition ended in dramatic fashion as Denny Hamlin grabbed the lead from Kyle Larson on the final lap to win the race in Kansas City, Kansas.
THE FINISH EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT! pic.twitter.com/xVd07BYjE2
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 7, 2023
But the action was not over when the cars were done running.
Driver Noah Gragson stalked driver Ross Chastain on pit road.
Gragson grabbed Chastain’s suit, leading to a punch thrown by Chastain after a few words between them.
Here’s what happened on pit road between @NoahGragson and @RossChastain. pic.twitter.com/MMcOLASlgq
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 7, 2023
Ross Chastain and Noah Gragson fight after the NASCAR Cup Series finish in Kansas! pic.twitter.com/EEbA4VeVZ0
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) May 7, 2023
During the race, Chastain had forced Gragson into the wall.
Ross Chastain PUNCHED Noah Gragson.
Here’s what led to the fight. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/VBFuULZGZY
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) May 7, 2023
Several laps later, Gragson spun out, ending his race for the day.
Gragson said he confronted Chastain because Chastain’s aggressive style irritated him.
“I’m over it,” he said.
“Nobody confronts the guy. He keeps doing it, and I’m sick and tired of it,” Gragson said.
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Chastain downplayed the incident.
“Noah and I have a very similar attitude on the race track, and we train together, we prepare together, we know … every very little bit about each other,” he told a reporter afterward.
“Yeah, I definitely crowded him up off of [Turn] 4, and he took a swipe at us in [Turn] 3, and then came down and grabbed a hold of me,” Chastain said.
“A very big man once told me we have a no-push policy here at Trackhouse,” he said.
“Got fenced by [Ross Chastain] … I’m sick and tired of it.”- Noah Gragson https://t.co/B0M9HYikaW pic.twitter.com/JeLAVv1dIt
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) May 7, 2023
Chastain finished in fifth and Gragson ended up in 29th place.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.