By Adam Carabine
NASCAR announced Wednesday that full-time driver of the No. 9 JRM Chevrolet Camaro, Noah Gragson, had been penalized 30 points, and fined $35,000 for intentionally wrecking Sage Karam at Road America this past weekend.
The 23-year old Gragson retaliated against Karam on-track in an incident that ended up collecting 11 other drivers, and ending the race for 6 of them.
Team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. said on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio of the incident, "I was shocked, to be honest with you, when I saw Noah make that decision."
"I told him that I could stand behind him through just about anything, but I could not defend that.”
Noah Gragson, who was ranked 4th in driver points standings before the penalty, will remain in 4th place, though his lead over 5th-placed Josh Berry will shrink down to only 5 points. The penalty will also put him 35 points behind 3rd-placed Justin Allgaier.
For a look at the incident in question, check out this video courtesy of @NASCAR_Xfinity on Twitter:
Update: Kelly Earnhardt Miller released a statement on behalf of JR Motorsports: "We understand today's penalty. Noah is a passionate racecar driver, and his actions occurred in the heat of the moment. Learning how and when to keep emotions in check is all part of the learning experience."
JR Motorsports will not appeal the penalty.