Dale Earnhardt Jr and Joe Gibbs both won’t be happy with the results of the NOAPS race in San Diego. 

Dale Jr.’s No. 1 JRM Chevrolet driver, Carson Kvapil, was fighting for a win with 3 laps to go when he was turned around by Joe Gibbs Racing’s Taylor Gray, who turned in on the race leader into a tight corner of the Naval Base circuit. 

A dejected Kvapil finished in 4th while Gray took 2nd place, with both drivers feeling like they lost out on a near-certain victory. The JRM driver walked over to the JGR car while Gray was still in it to ask him what went wrong going into the turn. 

Kvapil expressed his disdain about the result. He said, “Honestly, it’s hard racing, but I haven't seen the video. It’s tight through there, and it's easy to wheel hop; that’s what he said is what happened, but I don’t know. We’ve had a little bit of past this year, and it’s never been racing for wins, it’s always been racing for 10th… it just sucks.”

Dale Jr’s driver was left even more disappointed because he had a genuine shot at getting a first victory in the NOAPS, but more so because Kvapil currently sits 7th in the championship. A win would have given him a further boost going into the Chase. 

But Kvapil’s mature response is what caught the attention of spectators who were left surprised after Kvapil had a rather peaceful interaction with the JGR driver. 

The 1 JRM Chevrolet driver added, “I feel like when you’re racing for the win like that, you gotta kind of put everything out on the racetrack, and I’m sure that's what he was doing, and I just hate being the wrong end of it for sure.”

Gray stands his ground on wheel hops

While Gray said that he didn’t benefit from the incident with Kvapil having himself been passed by Austin Hill, he spoke about how he read the situation. 

The JGR driver said, “I got to his left side off 9, and I was able to get a good launch off 9 and get to his left side and just picked up really bad wheel hop at the end of all my runs, and whenever I got underneath him, there and just wheel hopped really bad and didn’t benefit me at all.”

Gray blamed the wheel hop, and even Kvapil agreed that turn 9 was easier to pick up wheel hop, which ended up being a turning point in the race. But fans weren’t happy with Gray’s comments. 

One fan responded to Gray’s comments and wrote, “Mannnnn idk about this coming from that guy… the big and bad guy acting all tough and walking half a mile to confront someone that moved/wrecked him a couple years ago at Martinsville — gives a bad look...Gives off what’s good for me is not good for you vibes.”

Kvapil may have let Gray off easy, but the criticism of the JGR driver’s race-altering move is now coming from fans.

Read more at the RFK Racing Digest!

Written by

Debrup Chaudhuri

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason