Noah Gragson has had the car to beat at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the NASCAR Xfinity Series the last three races and could not come away with the victory.
Saturday (Feb. 27) in the Contender Boats 250, Gragson was dominating the event and leading the field by over eight seconds with just three laps to go when disaster struck. He drove up on MBM Motorsports driver David Starr who was the last car on the lead lap in the 13th position. Leaving Gragson the high lane, Starr suffered a blown tire that shot him into the outside wall. Gragson, who was committed to running the high lane, slammed into the back of the No. 13 Toyota. The No. 9 Chevrolet was heavily damaged and came to rest on the apron of the racetrack. He finished 34th.
Checkers just became wreckers for @NoahGragson.
Holy cow. ?
NASCAR Overtime is coming up on FS1 and https://t.co/qkbTgQOd94! pic.twitter.com/oxs6DlMekh
— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) February 27, 2021
“You got dip—s in the way every week, but what are you gonna do?” a frustrated Gragson told FOX Sports 1. “We’ve dominated the last three races here. Definitely a bummer. They know who won this race, speed-wise, and the last three times we’ve come here.”
Last season, Gragson led the most laps in both Xfinity Series events in the 2020 Homestead doubleheader. In the first race, he had a huge lead with five laps to go when the caution came out. He ended up third after a late-race restart. In the second event, he was leading coming to the white flag when a caution came out and robbed him of victory after a restart. He finished fifth.
Ready for a white claw. Thanks everyone for the support! #ShouldBe3
— Noah Gragson (@NoahGragson) February 28, 2021
It’s been a rough start to the 2021 season for Gragson as he’s recorded three finishes of 28th or worse. In the season-opening Daytona International Speedway 300-mile event, Gragson was involved in a lap 76 wreck which ended his day in 32nd. Last weekend at the Daytona road course his troubles started before the green flag fell. His car would not start on pit road and the team lost a couple of laps. He was able to battle back and finish on the lead lap but in 28th.
The Xfinity Series heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Gragson’s home track, where he’s finished no worse than sixth in four starts. Coverage for the Alsco Uniforms 300 begins Saturday, March 6 at 4:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1.