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DAYTONA BEACH, FL – FEBRUARY 13: (EDITOR’S NOTE: Image was processed using digital filters.) Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Nationwide Chevrolet, looks on in the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 13, 2016 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
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DAYTONA BEACH, FL – FEBRUARY 13: (EDITOR’S NOTE: Image was processed using digital filters.) Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Nationwide Chevrolet, looks on in the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 13, 2016 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
At the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Road America, Noah Gragson overtook Ty Gibbs as the Xfinity Series’ new villain. In his defense, Sage Karam had repeatedly forced him off the track. So, when the opportune moment came, the red mist took over the #9 JR Motorsports car. Gragson suddenly veered into an unsuspecting Karam and that triggered a multi-car wreck. Speaking afterward, team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr wasn’t impressed either.
💭 "I was shocked." #NASCAR
@JRMotorsports co-owner @DaleJr shared his reaction to @NoahGragson's retaliation on @SageKaram at @roadamerica, calling it "tough to watch."
@NASCAR_Xfinity | @EarnhardtKelley pic.twitter.com/ZlC0pcqUya— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) July 6, 2022
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He said, “I was shocked, to be honest, when I saw Noah make that decision. I was just, I was completely shocked and in disbelief. Not only did he make that choice, but he created such an accident. Got so many other guys involved, that was tough to watch. Really tough, and kind of surprised that NASCAR didn’t penalize him. I kind of feel like NASCAR doesn’t want to over-officiate the races. In some situations, there are some things that do cross over a line and that was definitely one of the situations.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr will be glad to know that Gragson got punished later
The former NASCAR driver confessed that if he was down in the pit area, he would have acted. To be precise, he would have forced Gragson to come in the pit lane and park him for a while. According to Dale Jr, when Noah Gragson chose to purposely crash, he did not account for the consequences. Those repercussions were the damage inflicted on the many cars involved and how the crash affected other people.
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NEWTON, IOWA – JUNE 16: Noah Gragson, driver of the #9 Switch Chevrolet, watches qualifying for the NASCAR Xfinity Series CircuitCity.com 250 Presented by Tamron at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)
Dale Earnhardt Jr told the #9 driver that he would support him in most scenarios. However, he could not defend Gragson’s actions at Road America and it put him in a tough situation.
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NEWS: @NoahGragson has been fined $35,000 for violating the NASCAR Member Code of Conduct.
The team has also lost 30 owner points and 30 driver points. pic.twitter.com/TpMpda2cZs
— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) July 6, 2022
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The latest news is that Gragson has copped a $35,000 fine and has lost 30 driver and owner points. Hopefully, the driver will not be so reckless in future races, since he is supposed to be a role model, and it reflects badly on Dale Jr as well.
WATCH STORY: Dale Earnhardt Jr Anoints New NASCAR Regulation as “Kinda Hit or Miss”
