Over the weekend, there were many examples of short track tempers displayed between the 750 laps of racing at Martinsville Speedway in both the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series events, some of which included water bottle throws, while others included fist-fights in the garage.
Joe Graf Jr. and Gray Gaulding’s “post-race scuffle” drew the most attention of any of the anger-driven incidents from this weekend, as the two Xfinity Series competitors – and former teammates — engaged in a physical altercation after the event, which resulted in both drivers rolling on the ground in a pile.
Video: Gray Gaulding and Joe Graf Jr. End Up on The Ground After Post-Race Scuffle at Martinsville
Reasonably so, both drivers were fairly upset about how they were raced in Sunday’s event, with the pair being involved in an on-track incident on Lap 177, after racing together throughout the entire race. Both drivers would appear on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio the same afternoon, before the resumption of the NASCAR Cup Series event later that day.
After Gaulding’s interview, Graf had some interesting words for Twitter, saying “Gray [Gaulding] is 38th in points and has no top-20 finishes no lead lap finishes. And I am in his way…lol”
Jeez, listening to Gray talk @SiriusXMNASCAR he talks like he is Dale Earnhardt. Gray is 38th in points and has no top 20 finishes no lead lap finishes. And I am in his way…lol
— Joe Graf Jr (@Joegrafjr) April 11, 2021
On Monday Afternoon, Gray Gaulding – driver of the No. 52 Panini Trading Cards Chevrolet Camaro for Jimmy Means Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series — took to social media to offer some clarification on the incident that took place following Sunday’s Cook Out 250 at Martinsville Speedway, which saw himself and former teammate Joe Graf Jr. rolling on the ground in a physical confrontation in the garage.
Gaulding started off by saying “I want to make it clear that Joe Graf Jr. hit my bumper on lap 110 and almost wrecked me. Therefore, I also bumped him towards the end of the race to get back at him.” He continued with “I never intended to cause a wreck and especially hate that 23 car [Blaine Perkins] got mixed up into it.”
I want to make it clear that Joe Graf Jr hit my bumper on lap 110 & almost wrecked me. Therefore, I also bumped him towards the end of the race to get back at him. (Just like any driver would) I never intended to cause a wreck & especially hate that 23 car got mixed up into it
— Gray Gaulding (@graygaulding) April 12, 2021
The 23-year-old pressed on, saying “we all say things we don’t mean when we’re heated, just like I did on the radio,” before saying that he has great respect for Bobby Dotter and SS Greenlight Racing and “I do not expect not do I intend for this to carry on to the remainder of the races.”
It was an unfortunate situation and that’s just short track racing. Tempers are going to flare and things can get heated. Thanks to everyone for the support and I wish the 07 team nothing but success and good luck in the future.
— Gray Gaulding (@graygaulding) April 12, 2021
It now seems as though the displeasure between Gaulding and Graf will not be further provoked by the Jimmy Means Racing driver, while it is unknown where Graf stands on this particular issue and if he will have anything to say as the season moves forward.
Exiting Martinsville, Graf sits 21st in points, scoring a trio of top-20 results at Daytona, Daytona’s Road Course and Las Vegas, while Gaulding sits 33rd in points, earning his best run of the season with a 21st-place finish at Martinsville.
