Taylor Gray airs out frustration with Christian Eckes after Martinsville: 'What goes around comes around'
Tempers flared after the Martinsville Truck Series race tonight. Taylor Gray is not seeing eye-to-eye with Christian Eckes. Eckes got physical on the final restart at Martinsville to take the lead and ended up putting his NASCAR rival into the wall.
After the race, Taylor Gray marched to Victory Lane from pit road. He wanted to confront Christian Eckes. No punches were thrown, most likely due to NASCAR security arriving on the scene quickly.
While there was no physical altercation, there was a verbal exchange. Gray cussed Eckes out about putting him in the wall and racing with respect. To be fair, Gray managed to pass Eckes without contact. Eckes didn’t have to win to make it to Phoenix.
Still, he made a physical move.
After the confrontation, Taylor Gray spoke to the FS2 broadcast.
“I got shipped to the fence whenever I race him perfectly clean in one and two,” Gray said. “What comes around goes around. I have to race him next year all year long. So, I guess he’s got that one for him.”
The two drivers will be racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series next year. Eckes will race for Kaulig Racing while Gray will suit up for JGR in the No. 54 car owned by Ty Gibbs.
For what it’s worth, Eckes moved Ben Rhodes on the final stretch to the finish as well. While the 19 made it to the Championship 4, he now has two drivers with a bone to pick when it comes to his on-track behavior. That is not a comfortable place to be.
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Taylor Gray fumes after Christian Eckes wins
Christian Eckes and Taylor Gray got a bit physical there at the end. The race came down to the final 13 laps and it was a dogfight on the restart.
Gray briefly took the lead. Then Eckes gave him the bumper. Gray would then get washed up the track and end up being eliminated from the playoffs. Eckes walks away with the season sweep at Martinsville.
Taylor Gray had an opportunity to not just make Phoenix. He would have won his first-ever Truck Series race. That is a major milestone to take away from another driver. While playoff racing lends itself to physical, hard action – Eckes made his own decision at the end. He will have to pay the price.
Whether Taylor Gray takes action next week or next season – that doesn’t matter. Christian Eckes won’t be able to race comfortably any time he is near the Toyota driver. That means at Phoenix or throughout the long Xfinity Series season in 2025.