“You Have to Enjoy it”: NASCAR Xfinity Driver Harrison Burton on Fight with Noah Gragson

NASCAR is no stranger to drivers taking their battles outside the car, as adrenaline often sees them trade physical blows. The latest driver to engage in fisticuffs was the 19-year-old Harrison Burton. On the receiving end of his fists was the 22-year-old Noah Gragson.

At the Kentucky Speedway, Burton and Gragson were involved in a fierce brawl after the race and had to be restrained. Luckily, the two drivers have since managed to calm down and reflect on the punch-up.

“You have to enjoy it,” Burton told Fox NASCAR. “I saw some fans put some funny things on Twitter. Things like that, back a couple of years ago or maybe even last year, would’ve probably bothered me, but now I just laugh it off.

“It’s a hard place to be when you’re kind of in the center of conflict. It always seems like it grows after the event. You feel like, all right, me and Noah fought, we’re done, that’s it.

“We’re going to move on and we’re going to be all right. Then, all of a sudden, you realize that it’s a lot bigger than that.”

Why did Harrison Burton and Noah Gragson fight?

Undoubtedly, neither driver would pick a fight willy-nilly. As it turned out, the reason behind their brawl was an on-track incident that took place 13 laps from the finish.

Gragson’s No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet collided with Burton’s No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, sending both cars into the outside wall.

Fortunately, both cars lived to tell the tale and Gragson and Burton limped to seventh and 12th, respectively. Of course, the incident kicked off with a heated conversation before Burton pushed Gragson twice.

Finally, the latter snapped and threw the first punch that set them off.

Burton noted that he always treated everyone the same on the racetrack. He always respected other drivers and hoped that they reciprocated, but in this scenario, he felt that Gragson did not respect him and that he pushed plenty of buttons.

Luckily, the two drivers have put the Kentucky drama behind them and have cleared the slate.

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