Drivers need to stand their ground, but it appears Noah Gragson overreacted at Naval Base Coronado — and that cost him.
Was he wronged by an aggressive Kevin Magnussen, who either made a mistake in his first Cup race or just raced knowing he probably won’t race in the series again? You could certainly argue that. But Magnussen did not ruin Gragson’s day, and Gragson needed to know Gragson had more to lose than Magnussen.
Gragson continued to run into Magnussen after their initial contact, and Magnussen ended up turning Gragson when it appeared the former Formula 1 driver got tired of the games.
Maybe Gragson didn’t care where he finished as he is already having a rotten season and therefore had nothing to really lose. Maybe he is on the move to another organization as his time at Front Row hasn’t gone as well as he would have liked. But even if that’s the case, Gragson could have used the laps instead of being in the garage halfway through the 75-lap race.
Gragson probably felt he was standing up for himself (and other Cup drivers?) to not take it from drivers from other racing disciplines who believe that the way to pass in NASCAR is to have contact. And gosh, wonder why they think that — maybe because it does work in certain situations?
Is there a problem when drivers come from other disciplines race in Cup? Sure. But is it any different than when drivers come from O’Reilly and trucks and get to Cup and race the way they believe they should race only to be told they need to be more precise with their moves?
Magnussen appeared faster than Gragson and if Gragson had let him go, he could have raced on. And possibly if he had to, taken Magnussen out in the final laps if he felt the need to retaliate. Considering Magnussen likely isn’t racing in Cup again, that would have been good for Gragson.
Noah Gragson’s outgoing personality has made him a fan favorite in NASCAR. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
Instead, Gragson was in the garage with a totaled car, changed into street clothes and then waited for Magnussen to exit his car. Getting in the face of Magnussen on pit road wasn’t a great look for Gragson. Did he really want to know what Magnussen’s problem was (as he asked over and over and over)? Thankfully, NASCAR’s adept security instructed Gragson to not throw hands (that would have been bad on a military base) as well as to defuse the situation when it didn’t look like either side was truly interested in a discussion.
There will be some who will rally behind Gragson and say they love the fire. And there is merit to the idea that getting into an argument after the race is the best way to stay relevant when struggling. People are certainly talking about Gragson, good or bad.
Gragson has talent and a fun personality that could result in a long Cup career. He was part of the NASCAR short film ahead of the Coronado because he connects with the fans with his bold and on-the-edge personality. He shouldn’t shy away from using that to his benefit. But what Gragson also has is 38 laps less of experience going left and right in this car that he could potentially have benefited from this upcoming weekend in Sonoma.
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