With a little bit over 60 of 267 laps remaining in Sunday’s race won by Denny Hamlin, Gragson, Chastain and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. acquired three-wide racing for place by means of Turns three and four.
Chastain acquired unfastened and his Trackhouse Chevrolet drifted up the monitor and near Gragson, whose Legacy Motor Membership Chevrolet was working within the outdoors lane.
No contact was made, however the state of affairs resulted in Gragson hitting the surface wall. Gragson did come again down the monitor and hit the right-side of Chastain’s No. 1 Chevrolet afterwards.
A number of laps later, Gragson spun off Flip 2, which ended what had been considered one of his greatest runs of the 2023 season. He was credited with a 29th-place end, whereas Chastain completed fifth to retain his collection factors lead.
Nevertheless, Gragson didn’t take kindly to the shut quarters racing and confronted Chastain on pit street after the race. Gragson grabbed Chastain and pushed him a number of occasions earlier than Chastain struck Gragson within the face.
The 2 had been then shortly separated by NASCAR officers.
“I acquired tight off of (Flip) four for certain,” Chastain mentioned.
“Noah and I’ve a really comparable perspective on the race monitor, and we prepare collectively, we put together collectively, we all know each little or no bit about one another.
“Yeah, I undoubtedly crowded him up off of (Flip) four, and he took a swipe at us in (Flip) three, after which he got here down and grabbed a maintain of me (on pit street).
“A really large man as soon as advised me now we have a no-push coverage right here at Trackhouse.”
Chastain mentioned he was not stunned Gragson confronted him after the race.
“He did the identical factor after Talladega on the aircraft, and nothing occurred. It was not the primary time he approached me like that,” he mentioned.
Chastain confronted criticism after ending second in final weekend’s Dover spherical when he made contact with the lapped automotive of Brennan Poole, who was despatched into the trail of Kyle Larson.
In an interview with Motor Racing Community, Gragson claimed Chastain “fenced” him.
“Fully used us up and fenced the (expletive) out of us,” he mentioned.
“I’m not going to tear up the Trackhouse guys’ stuff up, I respect their laborious work and the whole lot.
“No one confronts the man. I went down there and grabbed him. I’m sick and uninterested in it. The man simply runs into everybody.
“Once you acquired guys like Chase Elliott, different guys telling you to go beat his ass… Everybody’s sick and uninterested in him however no person goes up and get him. I’m bored with it.”
