A few confrontations on and off the track can end in an argument, but as we have seen over the years in NASCAR, many can also escalate to physical altercations. Noah Gragson’s San Diego anger almost dragged us into the second category after former F1 driver and Cup Series debutant Kevin Magnussen became the focus of his frustration.

Gragson, too, was open in admitting this, adding that he came real close to getting into a physical altercation with Kevin Magnussen after their Anduril 250 clash. Appearing on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, the Front Row Motorsports driver said:

“I really, really, really wanted to go fight. I was about to throw a punch, and I got told right before I got over there that there’s gonna be long-term consequences with my job if that was the case.”

A physical altercation, had it happened, would have entirely overshadowed Magnussen's NASCAR debut. The former F1 driver piloted Trackhouse Racing No. 91 Chevrolet and finished 27th, also grabbing the Xfinity Fastest Lap.

Gragson, on the other hand, a veteran around NASCAR’s circuits, endured a disappointing afternoon, as he DNFed on Lap 38 of 75 after Magnussen spun him out.

Explaining why the issue got so extreme, Gragson said:

“You’re in our ball field, and our ball park, and we’re out here, and we race the 38-race season. That’s what pisses me off, is you’re coming into our ballpark and running into us.”

Gragson added that the Project 91 Trackhouse driver “hit me super hard going into Turn 12” and then “wrecked us,.”

In the same interview, Gragson did not just call out Magnussen but also drew another driver into the conversation, drawing a sharp reaction.

Sage Karam fires back after Gragson revives old NASCAR feud

Noah Gragson’s anger against Kevin Magnussen also brought back an older Sage Karam dispute. While criticising crossover drivers who make one-off NASCAR attempts, Gragson said:

“And you see it a lot with guys in the past, and maybe I’m just a magnet to it. Sage Karam comes to mind.”

The history of this incident goes back to Road America in 2022, where NASCAR found that Gragson had made retaliatory contact with Karam, triggering a 13-car crash. For that incident, Gragson was fined $35,000 and docked 30 driver points.

After Gragson mentioned Karam in the clip shared by SiriusXM Radio on X, the latter replied under the X post, writing:

“Maybe it’s just you pal.”

This showcases that even though the two drivers later met to resolve the issue in 2022, it appears the rivalry is anything but forgotten.

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Written by

Uday Jakhar

Edited by

Yash Kotak