Noah Gragson Pays a Hefty Price for His Anger Issues as Trackhouse Racing’s Rookie Has the Last Laugh
Tempers flared on and off the track after the Richmond race. Austin Dillon’s bump-and-run harnessed all the attention for this week, especially his rivals’ ire. However, even as Joey Logano trumpeted his anger, another Cup Series driver also unleashed his temper in an unlikely situation. Noah Gragson lost his cool in a chilled-out setting with his close friend.
Gragson’s Richmond run was far from spectacular, as he gathered together a measly 20th-place finish. That might as well be the reason for his heightened emotions at home. Yet he paid the price for it, which left his companion gleeful and content.
The Stewart-Haas Racing driver’s short temper has made it to NASCAR headlines before. Remember last year’s Kansas race? Yes, Denny Hamlin sparked off a rivalry with Kyle Larson when he edged him for the win. But another feisty face-off played out between Noah Gragson and Ross Chastain. With 60 laps left, Chastain nudged Gragson and put the then Legacy Motor Club rookie in the wall. That led to a post-race encounter – Gragson grabbed Chastain’s collar and the latter landed a punch.
This time around, Noah Gragson’s target was an inanimate object – a large screen owned by his good friend, Zane Smith. As if losing his crew chief to Smith’s Spire teammate last year was not enough, it seemed Gragson was out for vengeance.
After the chaotic Richmond race, both Gragson and Smith were rewinding with a little TV session. But Gragson’s emotions ran wild as he flung his remote at the silver screen. Smith captioned his Instagram story: “Noah’s Wii remote 1, my tv 0.”
However, clearly, Noah Gragson’s fury was not aimed at Smith. The two are the best of friends, along with NASCAR Xfinity star Riley Herbst.
Last year, Gragson proudly narrated the story of how he rushed to attend his bestie’s first Cup Series start. “When Zane Smith made his first Cup Series start in Gateway, I went there. I raced the day before in Portland, flew back to Charlotte, and got on an early flight to Gateway.” So it should not be a surprise that Smith’s TV was resurrected, as Gragson paid his dues. Smith captioned his next Instagram story: “We are so back.”
Zane Smith has also professed his love for his NASCAR buddies. “I have had good friends, but two that have been there since the beginning—Noah Gragson and Riley Herbst.” And Noah Gragson stressed that it is an enduring one. “It’s just cool to see how much we all just support each other, and how close we are. I love these guys, they are my best buddies and I really enjoy seeing them reach success.” This strong bond may be crucial for Smith to secure his uncertain future ahead.
Things are jittery for Cup rookie
Well, one Cup Series rookie is looking ahead to a bright future. Carson Hocevar has secured his tenure at Spire Motorsports as the No. 77 driver. But things are not so hunky dory for his teammate, 2022 Craftsman Truck Series champion Zane Smith. Two-thirds of the season is over, and Smith has been able to collect only a single top-ten finish—runner-up in Nashville. Besides that, the No. 71 driver has mostly finished outside the top 30, getting caught in frequent wrecks. So even though Spire has an empty seat in the No. 7 at present, Smith may not secure that.
Zane Smith was supposed to go back to Trackhouse Racing in 2025. But that team is yet to acquire another charter, and as of now, Smith lacks any ride there. Ross Chastain will continue in the No. 1 car, and Daniel Suarez will come back in 99. Additionally, Shane van Gisbergen would be a huge threat in case Trackhouse does get an extra seat. Gisbergen has a dominant three-win position in the Xfinity Series, which may translate to the Cup Series as well.
So the times are rough on Zane Smith. He would need all the emotional support he can harness from his friends like Noah Gragson or Riley Herbst.
The post Noah Gragson Pays a Hefty Price for His Anger Issues as Trackhouse Racing’s Rookie Has the Last Laugh appeared first on EssentiallySports.
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