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Noah Gragson, David Starr, MBM Continue to Sound Off on Late-Race Homestead Crash

Last weekend’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway ended in controversy as David Starr and Noah Gragson got together with three laps to go as Starr’s tire failed, while the latter was leading the race.

Days later, it’s clear the incident is still a hot-button topic, as Gragson again referenced the contact today (March 2) in an interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

“In this form of motorsports, you should feel a tire cording,” Gragson told SiriusXM, reiterating that he doesn’t take Starr and MBM Motorsports’ excuse for the accident as worthwhile. “We corded a right-front tire in the first stage. It is really hard to get your point across with uneducated people or ignorant people.”

 

For his part, Starr also responded on March 1 in a video.

“About halfway down the back straightaway, I could feel something in the right front like a tire coming apart or something broke,” he said. “I was making sure that the leader had the top lane.

“It was racing. I felt bad for Noah. He had an eight- or nine-second lead.”

Carl Long, the team owner of the No. 13 car, posted the picture of the tire that went down on social media. Long expressed that statements like those that Gragson made on Saturday will cost him.

Gragson made a statement that we were dip$hits (sic) that did not belong on track!” Long wrote. “Well, this over-entitled mouthpiece did not have enough talent to miss our wreck. We were happy to take home a top-12 finish, that rolled right out of our hands just like the tire rubber rolled off of this tire.
“There are not many people left in this garage who have worked as hard and sacrificed as much as myself to get to this level. Statements like his could and usually does come back and cost him.”

This is the Rf tire that came apart on David Starr while running 12th position on lead lap, with a few Laps remaining….

Posted by Carl Long Motorsports on Sunday, February 28, 2021

The NASCAR Xfinity Series continues its season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 6 at 4:30 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1.

About the author

Jared Haas joined the Frontstretch staff in May 2020. A graduate of Cedarville University in December 2019, Jared has been a NASCAR fan since 2006. Jared has worked with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette since 2023.

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DoninAjax

With an eight second lead he shouldn’t have been driving as hard as he was and his crew chief told him to ease off. With his mentality it looks like Gragson should be driving for Reverend Joe.

Matty

I was there. Noah was drafting and side drafting with anything that moved. Those last few laps he shouldn’t have been ANYWHERE near another race car. This one is entirely on Noah.
Check out William Byrum the next day with a big lead….total pro.

Matty

I was there. Noah was drafting and side drafting with anything that moved. Those last few laps he shouldn’t have been ANYWHERE near another race car. This one is entirely on him.
Check out William Byrum the next day with a big lead….total pro.

Ron

WOW — I lost a great deal of respect for Gragson. It wasn’t like that was a comment made over the radio in the heat of the moment. In my opinion, to publicly refer to others as “uneducated” and “ignorant” reflects a real character flaw. I hope Junior is willing to sit him down and have a man to “man” talk with him.

Sue

Everything the above comments said. Never cared for that boy.

Tom B

What about the most obvious question? What is NASCAR’S stand on drivers calling other competitors dip$hits on a live TV interview. Why no media asking that question. We only keep reading the same old stories like this one rehashing the same quotes.

Frontstretch Staff, how about getting out of you parents basement and do some real work.

Neil

David Starr was winning truck races when Noah Gragson was in diapers. he is a damn good race car driver. I saw the incident. Obviously out of Starr’s control and he is sorry for the incident. Gragson needs to watch his mouth and think about this a little. One day it will be him taking someone out when his car breaks.

DDS

Starr is an accident waiting to happen. I had just said to my wife that Starr was going to make a liar out me, he just might finish without wrecking. We know then what happened.
There comes a point where the forgivable becomes unforgivable. You wreck enough times being your own fault, it catches up. Those wrecks are lost revenue, to pay for the wrecks you didn’t cause.
He may have caused his own trouble. Being on a team that has to be budget conscious, there may have been a part on the car they would have normally replaced but guessed it could go a couple, three races. That may have been what started his problems. Did he feel something before, and tried to ride it out, when he should have came in.
That’s why, yes, you can “blame him” for the damage to the team, if not the actual cause.

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