Chastain, Gragson Mend Fences After Kansas Dust Up

Ross Chastain walks the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway on March 11, 2023. Photo: Chris Graythen/Getty Images

After last Sunday’s post-race dust-up at Kansas Speedway, Ross Chastain and Noah Gragson are back on good terms.

That’s bound to make their weekly interactions more comfortable, given that the drivers work out together when they’re not on the race track.

Chastain and Gragson came to blows after swapping sheet metal during the NASCAR Cup Series race. After Chastain ran Gragson into the wall, Gragson retaliated and forced Chastain’s Chevrolet to the apron of the 1.5-mile track.

Chastain salvaged a fifth-place finish, but Gragson came home 29th, five laps down. After the race, Gragson confronted Chastain and expressed his displeasure. A push from Gragson led to punches before the drivers were separated.

By Monday, however, the healing process was complete.

“Yeah, he (Gragson) called me Sunday night,” Chastain said Saturday morning at Darlington Raceway, where he is sporting a paint scheme reminiscent of Dale Jarrett’s first season in the UPS car. “I was still in the garage, and I didn’t feel like I had the bandwidth to think about it or talk about it.

“I was just happy we got out of there with a top five and was ready to get home. I called him back Monday. I was heading up to Hickory to run a late model stock. I’m kind of doing a lot of this racing stuff backwards, and now I’m driving a late model stock at Hickory for the first time.

“So I called him on my way up there. We talked for a little while and (were) in a really good place. And then we both went to Millbridge (Speedway) Monday night and with the Chevy program. We ran micros and had a blast. Just bonded over fast, little sprint cars. It was good — just laughing and joking, and we’ve been good at the gym all week.”

Joey Logano Reminisces About Rare Ride-Around At Darlington

As a 19-year-old rookie in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2009, Joey Logano got an offer he couldn’t refuse — a trip around Darlington Raceway with one to the track’s vaunted winners, Cale Yarborough.

It’s rare that any young driver can master the Track Too Tough to Tame without some veteran guidance, and on Throwback Weekend at the 1.366-mile speedway, that’s an experience indelibly etched in Logano’s memory.

“I’ll remember it forever,” Logano said on Saturday at Darlington. “I know that. I don’t sit in the passenger seat very often, but when it’s Cale Yarborough around Darlington, I’ll strap in and go for a ride, because that’s like the coolest thing you can do.

“I remember some of the things he told me about how to get around this place, and it hasn’t changed much since he raced, because it all lined up really, really well about how you get around the place and what to do. Part of it was cool, just sitting in the passenger seat and watching him wheel it around here. That was really neat, obviously, but, like I said, his advice really transferred over to the modern day — even to today.”

Clearly, the advice paid off. In 18 starts at Darlington, Logano has 10 top 10s, six top fives, one victory and two poles. He’s the defending winner of the Goodyear 400, having triumphed from the top starting spot last year.

Kyle Busch Grateful For Selection To NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers List

Kyle Busch didn’t try to feign surprise. The shock would have if the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion HADN’T been selected as one of NASCAR’s 75 greatest drivers.

After all, Busch has accumulated 62 NASCAR Cup Series victories, ninth all-time and most among active drivers. He holds records for victories in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (102) and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (63).

So it was almost a foregone conclusion that Busch would be included on NASCAR’s list of greatest drivers during the 75th anniversary celebration.

“Yeah, I guess to answer ‘Did I expect that?’ — Yeah, I did,” Busch said on Saturday at Darlington. “So it wasn’t necessarily going to be a surprise, but I feel like it’s a cool honor and a humbling one to be a part of that group, just with my past successes and all the people that have brought me to this point of my career.

“It wouldn’t have been possible without the very beginning of time, racing in Las Vegas in Legend cars and late models, all the way through the ranks to get to the top. And then all the great team members that I’ve worked with from HMS (Hendrick Motorsports), JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) and now RCR (Richard Childress Racing).

“Obviously you take that as much as you can with the accolade and the things that you’ve done. To say that you’ve had a really good career is great. Obviously, hopefully, it’s not over.”

NASCAR Cup Series
Darlington Raceway – Darlington, SC
Goodyear 400 – May 14, 2023

Sunday’s Starting Line Up

Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed
1. 19 Martin Truex, Jr. Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota 29.028 169.409
2. 23 Bubba Wallace Dr Pepper Toyota 29.040 169.339
3. 47 Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. Kroger/Country Crock Chevrolet 29.141 168.752
4. 24 William Byron Axalta Throwback Chevrolet 29.212 168.342
5. 1 Ross Chastain Worldwide Express/UPS Chevrolet 29.255 168.094
6. 99 Daniel Suarez Quaker State Chevrolet 29.300 167.836
7. 5 Kyle Larson HendrickCars.com Throwback Chevrolet 29.348 167.562
8. 11 Denny Hamlin Federal Express Toyota 29.365 167.465
9. 45 Tyler Reddick Forward Together Toyota 29.392 167.311
10. 6 Brad Keselowski Castrol GTX Ford 29.572 166.292
11. 12 Ryan Blaney Menards/Dutch Boy Ford 29.059 169.228
12. 8 Kyle Busch Lucas Oil Chevrolet 29.107 168.949
13. 54 Ty Gibbs # Shriners Children’s Toyota 29.114 168.908
14. 21 Harrison Burton DEX Imaging Ford 29.117 168.891
15. 22 Joey Logano Shell Pennzoil Ford 29.139 168.764
16. 20 Christopher Bell DeWalt Toyota 29.238 168.192
17. 10 Aric Almirola Smithfield Ford 29.271 168.002
18. 3 Austin Dillon Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet 29.291 167.888
19. 34 Michael McDowell StageFront.VIP Ford 29.324 167.699
20. 4 Kevin Harvick SunnyD Ford 29.348 167.562
21. 9 Chase Elliott LLumar Throwback Chevrolet 29.354 167.527
22. 31 Justin Haley LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet 29.386 167.345
23. 48 Josh Berry(i) Ally Throwback Chevrolet 29.399 167.271
24. 38 Todd Gilliland Serial1.com E-Bikes Ford 29.413 167.191
25. 2 Austin Cindric Freightliner Ford 29.428 167.106
26. 51 Ryan Newman Biohaven/Jacob Co. Ford 29.440 167.038
27. 17 Chris Buescher Fifth Third Bank Ford 29.456 166.947
28. 43 Erik Jones Allegiant Chevrolet 29.463 166.908
29. 42 Noah Gragson # Sunseeker Resorts Chevrolet 29.477 166.828
30. 16 A.J. Allmendinger BTS Tire & Wheel Distributors Chevrolet 29.501 166.693
31. 14 Chase Briscoe Mahindra Tractors Ford 29.684 165.665
32. 41 Ryan Preece United Rentals Ford 29.762 165.231
33. 77 Ty Dillon Honest Charley Speed Shop Chevrolet 29.961 164.133
34.. 7 Corey LaJoie NationsGuard Chevrolet 30.066 163.560
35. 78 B.J. McLeod The Daily Down Force Chevrolet 30.577 160.827
36. 15 Brennan Poole(i) Macc Door Systems Ford 30.684 160.266