NASCAR Truck Series: Todd Gilliland wanted to fight Noah Gragson

Todd Gilliland wanted to fight Noah Gragson following the 2018 NASCAR Truck Series playoff opener at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

The word “teammate” means nothing when two so-called “teammates” are battling for the win on the last lap of a NASCAR Truck Series race…

…except when it comes to not being able to get revenge when one ends up wrecking another.

This was the case on the final lap of the 2018 NASCAR Truck Series playoff opener, the Chevrolet Silverado 250, at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Kyle Busch Motorsports teammates Todd Gilliland and Noah Gragson were battling for the win, but it was GMS Racing’s Justin Haley who took the checkered flag because of contact between the two “teammates”.

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Heading into the 10th and final turn of the 10-turn, 2.459-mile (3.957-kilometer) Canadian Tire Motorsport Park road course in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada, on the final lap of the 65-lap race, Gilliland had the lead in his #4 Toyota. He had led the last 11 laps of the race.

However, Gragson, who led 35 laps of the race and won the first two stages of it after starting in second place, was close behind him in second in his #18 Toyota.

The 20-year-old Gragson proceeded to run into the 18-year-old Gilliland, spinning out not only Gilliland but himself as well, ruining both drivers’ chances to win the race.

Gragson ruined his chance to become the first driver to clinch a spot in the round of 6 of the playoffs while Gilliland’s chance to earn his first career Truck Series victory in this particular race was ruined by the actions of his teammate. Gragson finished the race in ninth place with Gilliland two positions behind him in 11th.

Here is a video of the finish of this race.

If these two drivers were not teammates as a result of the fact that they both drive for 2015 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch, we may very well have seen something along the lines of what happened between John Hunter Nemechek and Cole Custer at the end of this particular race back in 2016.

Gilliland rued the fact that he was unable to fight Gragson after this disastrous ending to what was a fantastic race for both drivers, stating that he wanted to but couldn’t.

Here is what Gilliland had to say about the matter, according to Yahoo Sports.

"“I’d go fight him right now, but I can’t. I’m extremely mad.”"

Here is what Gragson had to say about the matter, according to Yahoo Sports.

"“We were racing for the win. I apologize to Todd, the No. 4 team, everyone at Kyle Busch Motorsports. We’re in the playoffs and I’m trying to get a win. That one’s on me. “"

Tune in to the next NASCAR Truck Series race on Friday, September 14 to see whether or not Noah Gragson can secure a spot in the round of 6 of the playoffs as well as whether or not Todd Gilliland can secure his first career Truck Series victory. That race is the World of Westgate 200, and it is set to be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1 beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET.