Bubba Wallace off track, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota

Photo by: James Gilbert / Getty Images

Noah Gragson was in the headlines one week ago after feuding with ex-F1 driver Kevin Magnussen in the Dane’s NASCAR Cup Series debut. They traded blows for several laps, with the full-contact back-and-forth lasting at least 13 laps before Magnussen eliminated Gragson from the race. A post-race confrontation followed, with Gragson planning to fight Magnussen before being warned not to by his team.

At Sonoma, there were no confrontations (that we saw), but there was plenty of contact and payback during the race. Gragson found himself at the epicenter of one of thoise moments while battling deep in the pack, with things get very hectic on restarts. Cody Ware was also back there, and expressed frustration over the radio after getting used up by multiple drivers.

“I don’t know what to do unless we just start wrecking people left and right. I mean, you can watch the in-cars,” lamented Ware over the radio. “I mean, we’re the only person that’s getting raced like this. I get dive-bombed by seven different people, then once they get around us, it’s just clean racing. So I don’t know what to do. I’m just sick of it.”

At one point, Ware got into the back of Gragson a few times through the first set of corners as the field stacked up, and then passed him as they avoided a spinning car later that same lap. They were battling for 30th place on the track.

Entering the Turn 11 hairpin, Gragson retaliated, sending Ware spinning. “I’m so f****** sick of this,” remarked Ware, as he got back rolling. It was one of many such cases on Sunday.