Following Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Alsco Uniforms 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, former teammates Noah Gragson and Jeb Burton got into a bit of a testy war of words on their way back to the garage area.
While it’s unknown what exactly led to the spat, as FS1’s race broadcast never showed any incident between the two drivers, Burton and Gragson definitely had a difference in opinion in an on-track incident during the race on the sweltering day in North Carolina.
“I’m pushing you down the straightaway, because I’m not going to let you race me like that,” Burton said in a video captured by Frontstretch. “I don’t race you like that. I never just fucking lift and just slide you up into the fucking fence. That’s not the way it works. I’m not going to put up with it. If you don’t want me to jack you up down the straightaway, then don’t do that.”
Noah Lewis of TSJ101 Sports caught the rest of the exchange on video. The first thing that is audible is Burton saying to Gragson, “Alright, and I’ll wreck the dog fuck out of you. You think I’m scared of you?”
To which Gragson responds nonchalantly, what sounds like something to the effect of, “I win way more than you do.”
Burton did not take this response very well and fired back with, “Yeah, because you get a fucking blank check. I don’t have that.”
After a JR Motorsports PR rep tells Burton that Gragson doesn’t have a blank check, Gragson jabs back with an insinuation that Burton is one of two cars always wrecking him every week.
“I’m telling you, when you have two cars wrecking you every week, go back to that,” Gragson stated.
Burton then fired with the final shot in the war of the words.
“If I wanted to wreck you, you wouldn’t be walking right now,” Burton exclaimed.
Here is Lewis’ video of the ordeal between the two on the path back to the garage area:
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While Burton declined to comment any further, when pressed by Lewis, Gragson offered a very short answer.
“Not worth my time. I focus on guys that win races,” Gragson said of the spat with Burton.
.@NoahGragson on @JebBurtonRacing: “Not worth my time. I focus on guys that win races.” #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/C66Qisc5PW
— Noah Lewis (NASCAR) (@Noah_Lewis1) May 28, 2022
When Burton had a chance to watch Gragson’s response on Twitter, he shot back with a Tweet.
In the Tweet, Burton said, “And like I said to his face the only reason he’s in the car is bc of the check. I’ve been in the same stuff and out ran him almost every race go look at the stats.”
And like I said to his face the only reason he’s in the car is bc of the check. I’ve been in the same stuff and out ran him almost every race go look at the stats. ? ?? https://t.co/XRqXKCPbR7
— Jeb Burton (@JebBurtonRacing) May 28, 2022
While looking at the stats, Burton and Gragson competed in 18 races as JR Motorsports teammates in 2019 and 2020. Between the 18 races in the same equipment, Gragson scored the better head-to-head finish 13 times.
Gragson’s average finish in the 18 races was 8.667, while Burton’s average finish was 14.222.
Obviously, finishing positions only tell part of the tale, but from a pure statistical standpoint, Burton did not outrun Gragson in the same equipment.
That being said, it would be interesting to see if this bad blood spills over into future weeks in the NASCAR Xfinity Series season.
