Yahoo Sports NASCAR: Noah Gragson to miss Sonoma race due to 'concussion-like symptoms'
Gragson was one of four drivers who crashed at Gateway due to brake failures
Noah Gragson will miss Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma due to a possible concussion.
Legacy Motor Club announced Thursday that Gragson was suffering “concussion-like symptoms” and would be replaced by Truck Series driver Grant Enfinger. Gragson crashed out of the June 4 race at Gateway when a brake rotor failed on his car heading into Turn 1 and the team said he started feeling symptoms during the middle of the week.
Gragson attempted to dive his car into the infield grass before it collided with the outside wall at a high rate of speed.
“At that point, you’re like s— what do I do?” Gragson said in his post-crash interview after he realized what had happened with his brakes. “Tried to hook it through the infield, I’ve seen guys do it at Pocono. Obviously once I went through the infield I’m like ‘That’s the wrong thing to do’ but it’s that or go head-on into the fence.”
Gragson was one of four drivers who had brake failures over the course of the race at Gateway and no common cause has been publicly released other than the long straightaways and tight corners at the 1.25-mile track playing a role.
If he has a concussion, the 24-year-old would be the third driver since NASCAR’s current Cup Series car was introduced at the start of the 2022 season to miss races because of a concussion sustained in a Cup Series crash. Kurt Busch half of the 2022 season because of a concussion suffered in a crash at Pocono and Alex Bowman suffered a concussion in a wreck at Texas later in the season.
Gragson is in his first full season at NASCAR’s top level and is having a miserable rookie campaign. He’s currently 32nd in the points standings and is next-to-last among drivers who have raced in all 15 races so far this season. Only Ty Dillon has fewer points than Gragson among all full-time drivers.
Gragson’s best finish so far this season is a 12th at Atlanta. He’s finished 30th or worse in eight races so far this season and has just two top-20 finishes.
