Veteran Formula 1 driver Kevin Magnussen had a memorable first NASCAR race at Naval Base Coronado on Sunday. Driving the No. 91 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Trackhouse Racing, Magnussen logged the fastest lap of the race and even had his first ever NASCAR beef.
The 33-year-old Danish driver qualified 21st and finished 27th, at times running in the top-15. He had the second-best finish in the history of Trackhouse’s Project 91 program, behind Shane van Gisbergen’s upset victory in the 2023 Chicago Street Course race.
By putting down the fastest lap time of the race – a blistering 132.485 – Magnussen received one bonus point in the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series standings. Though he’s not pursuing the championship, Magnussen now has the distinction of being the top part-time Cup Series driver at 36th in points.
Kevin Magnussen vs. Noah Gragson
As impressive as Magnussen’s raw speed was, his maiden NASCAR voyage was equally memorable for a heated on-track exchange with Noah Gragson. The two spent several laps in close proximity, leading to hot tempers for several laps on end.
The two drivers first made contact on Lap 25 racing for 33rd, and did so again on Lap 26. A door-slamming occurred during a Lap 32 during a restart, with Gragson then appearing to give Magnussen the middle finger out his window.
As the field went back under caution the two drivers touched once again, seemingly originating from Gragson. Another restart gave way to more frustration, with Gragson hitting Magnussen from behind. By Lap 38 Magnussen appeared to have had enough, spinning the No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford Mustang Dark Horse in Turn 4. Gragson finished 35th.
Post-Race Fireworks
A confrontation ensued after the race. “What’s your f–king problem?” Gragson asked Magnussen repeatedly. The Formula 1 veteran’s responses danced around one similar sentiment during their conversation. “F–k off, get the f–k out of my face,” he was heard saying. “F–k around and find out”.
Gragson pressed the issue. “You guys come over here, you f–king drive off into the corner just because you got fenders on it,” he said in apparent reference to open-wheel drivers in general. “What’s your f–king problem?” he continued. “You wrecked the f–k out of me.”
“My problem is you in my face,” Magnussen shot back. “You don’t understand English or what? I am saying f–k off.”
Aftermath
“These open wheel guys, they get fenders on their cars, they get bumpers, and we’re running 30th…and they’re driving up the inside,” Gragson told Fronstretch’s Dalton Hopkins. “We could all out-brake each other, but they’re pinballing it. They’re blasting our inside doors, and I don’t know why that is.”
“I’ve watched NASCAR before so I know that’s how you guys play it,” Magnussen said via Frontstretch. “He was playing a bit stupid out there. He could’ve had a good race but he chose not to.”
It’s unlikely the rivalry between Magnussen and Gragson will develop further in the near future. Gragson races full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, while Magnussen has no future NASCAR starts announced as of Tuesday.
“If you’re coming over here for a one-off, you’ve got to show the competitors who are here full-time some respect,” added NASCAR Cup Series veteran Denny Hamlin on his Actions Detrimental podcast. “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 going to have to side with Noah on this one.”
