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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Michelle R. Martinelli

NASCAR’s Noah Gragson won at Bristol, vomited and shotgunned a White Claw opened with a gladiator sword

NASCAR driver Noah Gragson is on a roll headed into the Xfinity Series playoffs, winning his third consecutive race Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway. And he celebrated with his own flair just like any NASCAR fan would expect him to.

Gragson has now swept the month of September so far in the second-tier NASCAR series after also winning at Darlington Raceway and Kansas Speedway.

And after his checkered flag at Bristol, he went big with his celebration, continuing his many victorious traditions like shotgunning beer and climbing up the catchfence with his team (and briefly getting a tad sick). But because he won at the Tennessee short track nicknamed “The Last Great Colosseum,” there was a huge gladiator sword involved too.

Here’s a look at Gragson’s celebratory moments.

Gragson takes the checkered flag at Bristol

On older tires, Gragson held off Brandon Jones in a 20-lap final run. Here’s a look at the last lap:

Afterward, Gragson reportedly got sick...

This is surely one of his less enjoyable winning traditions, but after winning, Gragson has a tendency to vomit on himself. He’s explained this unfortunate response previously, noting that he thinks it’s because he often holds his breath for the final laps.

“I held my breath for the last two laps, I think. Lap or two,” Gragson explained in July after getting sick following his Pocono Raceway win. “Just holding your breath. It’s like if you run a mile, and you’re running at 100 percent and your heart rate’s through the roof and you’re breathing in all the smoke.”

Well, Friday at Bristol, Gragson won, and, at some point between the end of the race and him climbing out of the car, he got sick again according to multiple reporters, including Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the broadcast.

“Oh, he did throw up! He did throw up!” Earnhardt said on the broadcast as Gragson climbed out of his car, not through the window but up through the roof.

In Gragson’s post-race press conference, he explained his throwing up is concerning for him and his mom. So he’s considering consulting doctors after the season ends in November.

“I don’t really know what’s going on,” he said.

Here’s a little additional context from Gragson about this unfortunate phenomenon:

He climbed the fence with his team

Another Gragson tradition that’s also occasionally seen from others in motor sports, as well.

Gragson continued his celebratory traditions by shotgunning a beer

He finished his post-race on-track interview with NBC Sports, raised his beer to the fans in the grandstands and proceeded to demolish one of his beverages:

When Gragson finally made it to Victory Lane, he got his gladiator sword

As we’ve previously written, Bristol’s gladiator sword is one of the best NASCAR trophies ever, along with Martinsville Speedway’s grandfather clock and New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s giant lobster. But the sword is perfect for Bristol, and it looked like Gragson was enjoying it.

Gragson — who has 11 career Xfinity wins and six this season — also won at Bristol in 2020, so this is his second gladiator sword.

And then he put that sword to good use...

A sword in one hand and a White Claw in the other, Gragson used his weapon/trophy to crack the can open and shotgunned this drink too.

Noah Gragson is a NASCAR legend already.

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