Scott Miller, the senior vp of competition at NASCAR, joined “The Morning Drive” on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio March 22 to explain NASCAR’s decision to not penalize NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers Noah Gragson and Daniel Hemric following last weekend’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
The two drivers entangled in a scuffle on pit road following the March 20 race at Atlanta that included punches and involved several crew members.
Hemric, who drives the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, was upset after Gragson backed his No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet into Hemric’s car during a pit stop cycle, puncturing the nose of Hemric’s car. Hemric had slid into Gragson’s box following a lapped car overshooting their stall, leading to Gragson overshooting his box as well.
Gragson’s move to back up led some (including Hemric) to believe he had intended to back into Hemric’s car and put the crew members in danger.
ICYMI: @NASCAR's Scott Miller joined #TMDNASCAR and explained why the sanctioning body decided not to punish @NoahGragson or @DanielHemric after Saturday's incident at @amsupdates @TheMikeBagley | @PPistone pic.twitter.com/6MiFg0RzDk
— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) March 22, 2021
“He [Noah Gragson] really needed to back up a long way to try and get in his pit box because of that chain reaction incident.” Miller said on the show. “Unfortunately, the [Nos.] 18 and the 9 were both victims of someone else’s mistake there, and Noah found himself outside of the pit box and the only way he could get back in was back up as far as he could.
“I think he misjudged it there and hit the 18 and all kinds of mayhem ensued there. … We have had conversations with them and we’ll probably have some more this week now that everybody is calmed down.”
Post-race, Gragson tweeted a separate angle of the incident, which showed Hemric overshooting his stall initially.
Here's the full video. Penalty if right side tires are out of the box. Final pit stop. Judge for yourself. pic.twitter.com/2LCQEiUDQ7
— Noah Gragson (@NoahGragson) March 21, 2021
However, Hemric was not convinced it told the entire story, claiming Gragson gave him a “middle finger.”
The middle finger you gave me out the window was a pretty clear indication to me that you knew exactly what your intent was. Thanks for posting the facts @NoahGragson ???? https://t.co/xIXq5oC9ZH
— Daniel Hemric (@DanielHemric) March 21, 2021
Gragson went on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s “XM Speedway” to give his side of the incident.
ICYMI: @NoahGragson joined @DGodfatherMoody to share his perspective on the pit road incident between him and @DanielHemric at @amsupdates.@JRMotorsports | @TeamChevy | @NASCAR_Xfinity pic.twitter.com/tLt6lDCGcZ
— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) March 22, 2021
The Xfinity Series gets the next two weekends off before it heads to Martinsville Speedway on April 9.
Entering his fifth year with Frontstretch, Luken Glover is the author of The Underdog House, shedding light on the motivation and performance of NASCAR's dark horse teams as they strive to fight to the top. Additionally, Glover reports for the site at various events, and he contributes in the video editing department.
A 2023 graduate of the University of the Cumberlands, Glover is a middle school math and PE teacher, as well as a basketball coach. He is passionate about serving in his church, playing/coaching a wide variety of sports, and researching motorsports history.