Ross Chastain aims dig at NASCAR rival with – Sports News
Ross Chastain couldn’t help however goal a playful dig at Noah Gragson practically three years faraway from their notorious post-race dustup.
Back in May 2023, Chastain — who’s extensively seen as one of the primary villains within the NASCAR Cup Series as a result of his aggressive driving fashion — butted heads with Gragson on pit highway following a contentious race at Kansas Motor Speedway. Once push got here to shove, the Trackhouse Racing star landed a clean proper hook to his rival’s jaw in what’s since been dubbed the “Punchgate” incident.
While making an look on the Dinner with Racers podcast final month, Chastain was requested why he determined to swing at Gragson during the heat of the second. “He has got the most punchable face,” the 33-year-old replied with a extensive grin.
Despite taking an unsubtle dig at Gragson, Chastain revealed that the pair swiftly buried the hatchet much less than 24 hours after coming to blows. “We were actually in the gym the next morning, Monday morning, shook hands, and worked out together,” he stated. “That’s so great about guys. We didn’t hold a grudge.”
With roughly 60 laps remaining within the 2023 CreationHealth 400, Chastain made mild contact with Gragson whereas rushing by Turn 4 — promptly sending the No. 42 Chevrolet driver barreling into the skin retaining wall.
Gragson didn’t take kindly to the gesture, promptly confronting Chastain and giving him a piece of his thoughts on the heels of the race. As the 2 exchanged heated phrases, the previous grabbed the latter by the firesuit earlier than shaking him back and forth.
After telling Gragson to stop more than as soon as, Chastain wound back and punched him immediately within the cheek. NASCAR officers standing close by rapidly rushed in to separate the duo, with no further fists being thrown.
Addressing the leadup to the transient scuffle, Chastain stated at the time: “I got tight off of [Turn] 4 for sure. Noah and I have a very similar attitude on the race track, and we train together, we prepare together, we know each other’s … every little bit about each other.
“Yeah, definitely crowded him up off of 4, and he took a swipe at us in 3, and then he came down and grabbed a hold of me, and a very big man once told me we have a no-push policy here at Trackhouse.”
Gragson, in the meantime, asserted that he was fed up with Chastain’s habits, provided that one other on-track collision occurred three weeks prior at Talladega Superspeedway. “Just got fenced by the 1,” Gragson defined. “He took care of us at Talladega. We’re Chevrolet teammates and he didn’t work with us there, and then fenced us here and I’m just over it.
“Nobody else has the balls to at least confront him, so if you don’t at least just grab him and do something, he’s just going to keep doing it, and I’m over it. It’s the second time. I have respect for [Chastain team owner] Justin Marks and the rest of the Trackhouse team, and that’s why I’m not wrecking him on the race track, but I’m ready to fight him. I didn’t even get a shot in because the security guards got in the middle of it, but nobody confronts the guy. He just keeps doing it, and I’m sick and tired of it.”
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