Polarizing, passionate, and unpredictable, Noah Gragson‘s reputation precedes him. However, the Front-Row Motorsports driver traded controversy for character in Mexico City. Known for his past run-ins, like the heated altercation with Ross Chastain in 2023, Gragson reminded fans at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez why old-school loyalists still root for drivers with grit.
On Friday, the young gun flipped the script following a rough practice crash, stepping up in a way that tipped hats across the garage, a reminder of the time when drivers were more than just wheelmen, but teammates, mechanics, and blue-collar racers.
Noah Gragson’s Garage Grit Steals the Spotlight in Mexico City
At NASCAR’s Mexico extravaganza, chaos erupted both on and off the track, throwing drivers and teams into disarray as they scrambled to adapt on the fly. The 2.42-mile road course, unlike most on the NASCAR schedule, is highly technical and relatively unfamiliar to much of the field. This was pretty evident during Friday’s practice session.
Unlike the usual 17-turn Formula One Grand Prix layout, Sunday’s NASCAR main event will tackle a 15-turn track layout. The track is a blend of elements, ranging from tight low-speed portions (Turns 10 and 14) to speedy straights, including the long Hermanos Rodríguez straight, leading into a rapid right-left-right combination through Turns 1 to 3.
However, during Friday’s practice, Turn 4 proved especially tricky for much of the field, which was cut right after the long fast stretch. Both Austin Cindric and Gragson fell victim to the unforgiving corner, getting an early taste of the circuit’s tight, technical demands.
During practice, the Penske driver overshot the braking point for Turn 4, while the No. 4 driver hit the wall in the same spot, damaging his car. However, after wrecking his FRM Ford, the 26-year-old, instead of sulking, rolled up his sleeves and headed straight to the garage, where he was seen helping his team prepare the backup car.
Noah Gragson helping his No. 4 team swap over to their backup car
“Yeah, I fucking killed it and its part of the job to help fix it too. And in my opinion, if you dont feel that way, you shouldn’t be driving them. Theres not a lot I can do but Im going to be here with them.” pic.twitter.com/57gPF9rxyD
— Matt Weaver (@MattWeaverRA) June 13, 2025
Matt Weaver noted the driver’s comments on his social media. According to his post, Gragson said, “Yeah, I f**king killed it and it’s part of the job to help fix it too. And in my opinion, if you don’t feel that way, you shouldn’t be driving them. There’s not a lot I can do, but I’m going to be here with them.”
All hands on deck on the Noah Gragson backup car as they put the wrap on it. pic.twitter.com/Sw1OmERp4e
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 14, 2025
Despite the setback, Gragson managed to clock a lap of 94.749 seconds in practice, placing him 21st on the charts, just over seven-tenths off pace-setter Michael McDowell, who led the session with a 94.024-second run for Spire Motorsports.