Taylor Gray’s weekend at Martinsville was a rollercoaster that ended in a wreck, literally. The 20-year-old Joe Gibbs Racing star, behind the wheel of the No. 54 Toyota, was inches from his first Xfinity Series win. Six top tens in 19 races over two years had him on the cusp of glory, only for Sammy Smith to slam into him on the last lap, spinning him out and leaving Austin Hill to take the checkered flag. The drama didn’t stop at the finish line.

Gray stormed to the infield care center, ready to square off with Smith. Things got heated with Smith taunting “come at me” from behind security guards while Gray let his frustration fly, earning himself a $5,000 fine. NASCAR hit Smith harder, docking him 50 points and $25,000, a penalty JR Motorsports won’t appeal. Kevin Harvick didn’t hold back, ripping Smith’s move as “one of the most blatant, ridiculous things I’ve seen a guy do in a racecar in a long time.” Fans and insiders called it “absolute chaos,” and it was noted that NASCAR had to act, rule or no rule. Days later, the fire’s still burning.

Taylor Gray isn’t in the mood to pick up Sammy Smith’s calls right now

Gray’s keeping his cool, sort of. He’s got too much respect for Dale Earnhardt Jr., Smith’s team owner, to start a wrecking spree. “I have too much respect for [JR Motorsports] to start wrecking their cars just to prove a point,” he said on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “If Sammy owned and worked on his own car, then I would probably be telling you a different story.” Toby Christie praised his restraint, saying, “He’s showing a level of maturity beyond his 20 years.” Still, Gray’s not hiding the hurt. “I was pretty hot after the race,” he said, “I don’t think that’s going away anytime soon.” Evidently, ending someone’s winning chances is worth upsetting them beyond forgiveness.

“I’m still pretty p—–,” Gray told on the Rubbin’ is Racing podcast, “If I could go back and redo that moment, I probably would just try to maybe do one thing a little different so I don’t give up my left rear as much as I did and allow [him] to just absolutely clean me out.” Then came the kicker. Has anyone from JRM or Smith reached out since? “UH…No, no one at JRM,” Gray said further. “I was actually on a run yesterday, mid-run. I’m kind of tired, a little bit gassed. I’m on a three-mile run, I’m two miles into it, and I’m just kind of over it, ready to be done running. I look down at my phone, I get a little notification on my watch, I look down at my phone and I see his name, and I’m like, not today. Just decline. Not today.” Yep, Smith called, and Gray hit ignore! No words, no truce. Just a flat-out rejection that says this beef’s still raw.

Smith’s not backing down either, admitting, “I’m not proud of that, but… he would have done the same thing.” Freddie Kraft summed up JRM’s penalty decision with a stunned “Wow, that’s surprising.” With Darlington looming, Gray’s keeping his head up but his guard higher. “It is what it is,” he sighed, replaying the race he had led for 87 laps. Mature for sure, but not a chance he’s not over it? That declined call proves that this hatchet’s staying unburied.

And the

Martinsville madness didn’t just stop at Gray and Smith, it sparked a bigger debate. Should NASCAR drivers be allowed to brawl? After Smith’s last-lap crash into Gray, the confrontation turned physical, reigniting talks about where to draw the line.

Jordan Bianchi on

The Teardown podcast weighed in: “You can’t have that outside the Care Center. I’m okay with fighting, but you have to be careful of guys just going at it crazy. At what point do you step in?” The crash didn’t just rob Gray of a win—it fueled a fiery aftermath that’s got fans and insiders split on how much chaos NASCAR should let slide.

Sammy Smith’s antics have polarized the NASCAR community

Sammy Smith, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s driver at JR Motorsports, turned the final lap into a demolition derby when he smashed into Taylor Gray, spinning him out and causing a huge wreck. Austin Hill snagged the win, but it’s left us all with a sour feeling.

Dale Jr. didn’t sugarcoat it on his Dale Jr. Download podcast. “The Sammy deal sucked. Sammy f—– up,” he said, his voice dripping with frustration. “We’re gonna try to give Sammy everything we can and support him going forward… but that’s all they’re gonna remember from that race.” You can hear the conflict—he’s mad, but he’s not giving up on his driver. “Anyone who thinks I’m gonna park Sammy, that’s out of the question. Never gonna happen,” he shot back at the critics. NASCAR slapped Smith with a $25,000 fine and a 50-point penalty, but Dale’s standing firm.

Brad Keselowski, a Cup veteran and team owner, isn’t buying it. “I’m seeing a lot of finger-pointing at NASCAR to go fix it,” he said. “But these things kind of worked themselves out on their own because the car owner addressed it.” He’s not subtle: “I would probably sit the driver down until they figure out that this is an unacceptable standard.” Ouch—that’s a direct jab at owners like Dale Jr.

NASCAR’s Mike Forde chimed in on “Hauler Talk,” saying, “I think NASCAR plays a role in trying to fix this; the drivers need to self-police, spotters need to be involved, crew chiefs need to be involved, team principals and owners need to be involved.” He’s pushing everyone to step up.

This is bigger than one race—it’s about respect and responsibility. I’m torn, but what about you?