Noah Gragson, Daniel Hemric throw punches in fight at Atlanta Xfinity race
By Bob Pockrass
FOX Sports NASCAR Writer
HAMPTON, Ga. – Daniel Hemric and Noah Gragson threw punches at each other after the NASCAR Xfinity Series race Saturday, but whether NASCAR penalizes anyone – particularly Gragson – will depend on the cause of the fight rather than the fight itself.
NASCAR typically lets drivers fight, especially in altercations that last only a few swings, as this one did on the Atlanta Motor Speedway pit road.
The fight was the result of frustration about pit stops. Hemric, trying to avoid another car, drove into Gragson’s pit stall before backing up into his own stall – right on the edge of the Gragson pit. Gragson, whose entry into his pit stall was altered by Hemric being there and having to reposition himself for the pit stop, backed all the way to Hemric.
Gragson’s wheels appeared to stay in his pit box, but his rear bumper touched the front bumper of Hemric, whose crew members were beside the car (but theoretically could have been running in front of it).
"He purposefully drove the back of his car through the front of my [car] and punched a hole in the nose of our [car], and where I come from, you get punched in your eye for that – and that’s what happened," Hemric told FS1 after the race.
There are rules about not interfering with another team’s pit, but NASCAR didn’t immediately penalize Gragson – likely because Gragson’s wheels were in his stall. NASCAR could penalize Gragson if it thinks he put other crew members in danger.
NASCAR officials called Gragson – not Hemric – to meet with them in the officials' hauler (their mobile office) after the race.
NASCAR announced Sunday morning that Gragson would not be penalized, that it felt the contact with Hemric was not deliberate.
"A chain reaction of events led to the 18 [of Hemric] and 9 [of Gragson] both overshooting their pit stalls," NASCAR Senior Vice President of Competition Scott Miller said. "The 9 ended up both long and out of his pit box to the outside, and needed to back up as far as possible to have any chance at fully pulling into his box.
"After reviewing the video, it is our judgement that the contact was not deliberate."
Gragson was defiant after the race.
"He was in our pit box, and I had to come around him, and [I'm] not really sure why he was there," Gragson told FS1 after the race. "I had to back up to get [out of] there. ... I’d be mad if I was in his shoes, too, based off what he’s done in his career."
Gragson and Hemric were teammates last year at JR Motorsports. Hemric, who has eight runner-up Xfinity finishes and raced Cup in 2019, is full-time Xfinity this year at Joe Gibbs Racing. Gragson has two career Xfinity wins.
"There's a hole in the nose of my car, and he got popped in the eye," Hemric said. "Where I stand from, we're in good shape."
Bob Pockrass has spent decades covering motorsports, including the past 30 Daytona 500s. He joined FOX Sports in 2019 following stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @bobpockrass.
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