After JR Motorsports teammate Justin Allgaier misplaced the lead, it was all on Gragson to pursue Ty Gibbs within the closing laps. However even with just a little assist from one other teammate (Sam Mayer) whereas he was being lapped, Gragson could not fairly get there.
Afterwards, he went up and shook arms with Gibbs. When requested why, he merely replied: “As a result of they did an excellent job. They beat us.”
A tense relationship
Talking on his tense relationship with Gibbs and the way he might relate to him with a few of his personal errors previously, Gragson didn’t mince phrases: “Yeah, I believe I have been in that place earlier than. It takes a number of issues, and it is to be trustworthy with your self, it is to have trustworthy individuals round you, to take a seat you down and say, hey, change must be made.
“You already know, I’ve had a dialog with Ty the day after Portland and Gateway and let him know the way I felt, let him know if he will get into us, what the implications are going to be, and simply — I was buddies with him when he was youthful. You already know, in all probability three, 4 years in the past, he was a brilliant cool child. He actually was. However I do not know, it is simply type of modified over the past couple years, and I’ve instructed him that, and he is aware of that.
“I do not wish to actually go into rather more element about that out of respect for him and whatnot, however I instructed him that hey, you was once a brilliant cool child and also you type of became just a little little bit of a douchebag … He can nonetheless develop from it, and he did an excellent job. They gained the race truthful and sq. immediately. It takes nice individuals round you to study, and I believe he’s succesful. He has the potential to study. He is an excellent race automotive driver, and I have been in these sneakers, too, the place it simply looks like you possibly can’t do nothing proper, and it is you in opposition to the world and whatnot. However on the finish of the day, I believe he is obtained potential, and he hasn’t reached his full potential but off the monitor.”
Hindered, however not derailed by gradual pit cease
Gragson made a powerful run to the entrance after a gradual pit cease price him 5 positions. He charged from eighth as much as second and ended the race inside just a few automotive lengths of the newly topped champion. He refused to consider his race was over after the setback on pit street.
“As a result of we got here off pit street, we have been in eighth, it was what it was,” he stated. “We nonetheless had laps left, and we nonetheless had alternative. We weren’t wrecked. We weren’t within the storage. We nonetheless had alternative. Simply obtained beat there on the finish. Began getting tight, in all probability wanted to be just a little freer.
“However actually happy with everybody’s efforts all 12 months lengthy. That is why I am mad on the end result just a little bit, however I am not. I do not know. I felt like final 12 months I used to be far more mad simply because — I do not know, I believe this 12 months I did my very best, like I can lay my head down after restarting eighth with 25, 30 to go and getting as much as second and nearly having a shot to win the race.
“I am content material with that. I do not assume the driving force a 12 months in the past, two years in the past, three years in the past would be capable of do this. I did my very best. I drove my ass off. I attempted my finest and gave it every thing I had. Simply obtained beat.”
Gragson additionally admitted that he contemplated the wall-riding maneuver utilized by Ross Chastain final weekend, however did not assume it could work.
The distinction every week makes
Gibbs has drawn a number of criticism this 12 months for his aggressiveness on monitor, perspective off-track, and most lately, for deliberately wrecking his teammate out of a Championship 4 spot to win Martinsville. A remorseful 20-year-old arrived on the monitor this weekend, and raced with out incident along with his title rivals for the whole lot of the race. That truth didn’t go unnoticed by Gragson, however Gibbs nonetheless drew loud boos from the gang after the race.
“I believe all of us raced with a ton of respect, and all of us 4 raced as champions, in my thoughts,” stated Gragson. “We raced one another actually, actually arduous, and typically doored one another, coming off the tri-oval or by means of the dogleg or getting into the nook, however we raced arduous.
“For me personally, that is all you possibly can ask for is to race one another as arduous as you possibly can. However no one — we’re all nonetheless racing our tails off. Even final night time within the truck race, it was an unbelievable end, and I believe all of us 4 raced as champions tonight.
“It was actually cool.”
Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota Supra
Photograph by: Ben Earp / NKP / Motorsport Images
Gragson’s time as a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Collection (NXS) driver is over for the foreseeable future now. In 2023, he steps as much as the Cup Collection as the driving force of the No. 42 Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet. In 135 NXS begins, he gained 13 races together with eight this previous season.
“For a younger man like myself who’s shifting as much as the Cup stage, it should be a impolite awakening. It truly is,” he confessed. “Justin (Allgaier) is aware of the distinction between Xfinity and Cup racing; everyone is sweet. Each lap, each restart, each journey down pit street, each single time, everyone is sweet in the entire whole subject. You are not racing 10 guys, you are racing 30 guys, so it is loads more durable.”
