'I'm sick and tired of it': Brawl erupts after on-track battle boils over in NASCAR
Noah Gragson's attempt to confront Ross Chastain backfired after he copped a flying fist without getting in a shot of his own after the latest NASCAR Cup Series race.
Tensions boiled over in pit lane after the pair rubbed panels on the mile-and-a-half Kansas Speedway.
A move by Chastain resulted in Gragson hitting the outside wall. Gragson moved down the track to let him know how he felt, brushing the side of Chastain's car.
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Chastain has been a controversial figure in NASCAR with many drivers critical of his aggressive style.
Gragson, a rookie in the series this year, decided to confront the Trackhouse Racing driver after he was "fenced" on track.
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The Legacy Motor Club racer grabbed Chastain by the collar, who retaliated by punching Gragson in the face.
The fiery exchange was quickly snaffled as series officials intervened.
"We're Chevrolet teammates and didn't work with us (in Talledega) and then fenced us here and I'm just over it," said Gragson.
"Nobody else has the balls to at least confront him. At least just grab him and do something (or) he's just going to keep doing it.
"I'm over it. It's the second time. I have respect for Justin Marks and the rest of the Trackhouse team. That's why I'm not wrecking them out on the race track.
"I'm ready to fight him. I didn't even get a shot in because the security guards got in the middle of it. Nobody confronts the guy, he just keeps doing it and I'm sick and tired of it."
Chastain was non-plussed about the scuffle.
"Noah and I have a very similar attitude on the race track," he chuckled.
"We train together, we prepare together, we know every little bit about each other.
"I definitely crowded him off of (turn) four and he took a swipe at us out of (turn) three and then came down and grabbed a hold of me.
"A very big man once told me we have a no push policy here at Trackhouse."
The fight overshadowed a fantastic finish to the race between Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson.
Looking to end a drought, Hamlin caught Larson with one lap to go. The leading Hendrick Motorsport driver got loose out of turn two, which allowed the trailing Joe Gibbs Racing star to get to the bumper of the Chevrolet Camaro.
Light contact from Hamlin's Toyota Camry sent Larson sideways and into the wall, allowing Hamlin to pass and take the win on the final lap.
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