Former Formula 1 driver Kevin Magnussen and NASCAR driver Noah Gragson were involved in an altercation after the Cup Series race in San Diego. While fans were divided on whose side to take, three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin had a clear stance.

On lap 38 of 75, Magnussen got on the inside of Gragson and spun the No. 4 Front Row Motorsports driver into the wall. This incident, which was the final of several run-ins they had on the track, led to a confrontation between the two drivers post-race.

After the confrontation, when Magnussen was asked if he had ever similarly argued with a driver before, he replied (via Frontstretch): 

"No, I’ve not. But I’ve watched NASCAR before, so I know that’s how you guys play it. It is what it is."

However, the whole incident did not sit well with Denny Hamlin. On Monday's episode of the "Actions Detrimental" podcast, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver said:

"I think he did a really good job this weekend. He was fast. Did I see he had the fastest lap? Is that true? He had the fastest lap! Son of a gun. I mean, that's freaking impressive. But if you're coming over here for a one-off, you got to show your competitors some respect  that are here full-time."

The No. 11 JGR driver explained how Magnussen shouldn't have just stereotyped NASCAR, and backed Gragson, adding:

"You know, if I went and did a one-off somewhere else, I mean, you just... I guess, stereotyping us and NASCAR as well, (saying) 'You guys just run into each other, so I think it's okay to just power drive you into turn 12 on lap three'. I'm not a huge fan of that, and I have nothing against him at all."

"I raced around him a little bit today. He was fine, and I think what he did was wildly impressive. But yeah, I'm gonna have to side with Noah on this one," Denny Hamlin concluded.

Although Kevin Magnussen’s NASCAR debut was impressive, the post-race confrontation took the spotlight this weekend. Despite that, the former Haas F1 driver seemed to be content with his effort.

Kevin Magnussen reflects on NASCAR debut at San Diego

Kevin Magnussen made his debut in the sport at the Coronado Naval Base street track, where NASCAR held its inaugural race weekend. He piloted the No. 91 Trackhouse Racing car under the Project 91 banner.

Talking to the media post-race, Magnussen opened up about his debut race, saying: 

"I felt like I was in a fist fight the whole race through. Honestly, everyone was driving so well. It’s tough racing. You can’t mess around; you’ll find out. I like that kind of racing. Big respect to everyone, except for that one guy [Gragson], but I’ll deal with that."

The Trackhouse Racing driver also managed to put in the fastest lap of the race. Besides his clash with Gragson, Magnussen managed to keep a clean race for most of it, and he finished the race in 27th on the lead lap.

While it is unclear if Kevin Magnussen will return to NASCAR or if this will be a one-off gig, his debut has certainly left an impression. 

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Written by

Chionia Libania Colaco

Edited by

Yash Kotak