NASCAR Martinsville Notebook: Driver’s Respect and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

Respect More Important Than Avoiding A Fine

After the National Appeals Panel upheld Denny Hamlin’s $50,000 fine and 25-point loss for admitting on his podcast after the Phoenix race that he intentionally wrecked Ross Chastain on the last lap, several drivers said they weren’t sure what they could and couldn’t say in order to avoid a fine.

However, Noah Gragson said having his peers’ respect means more to him than avoiding a fine.

“I just want to be an honest guy,” Gragson said. “If I do something, I want to take accountability. You can lie. You can just shut your mouth and no repercussions, but everybody knows what the deal is. If you say the truth or you don’t say the truth, everybody still knows. So you lose a little credibility.

“For me personally, if I make a mistake, I’m going to own up to it. It’s happened to me in the past, I own up to it, and you deal with the consequences. I think being truthful and honest means more than anything else with your character. Reputations are a pretty big part of this sport and if you can honor your core values and that’s being honest and respect people, then credibility is pretty big.”

Martinsville Hot Dog Like a Krispy Kreme Doughnut

During the last four decades, the hot dog sold at Martinsville Speedway has developed legendary status with its chili, onions, mustard, and relish condiments. It’s not uncommon for crew members to get into contests to determine who can consume the most during a race weekend. Even fans will sometimes compete with one another.

A single hot dog is $2, a bag of four is $7 and a bag of six sells for $11. On Friday, team owner Jordan Anderson purchased enough Martinsville hot dogs to feed his two NASCAR Xfinity Series teams.

Corey LaJoie said throughout the three-day weekend he expected to eat nine or 10.

“You know when you drive by a Krispy Kreme and the light’s on (which notifies the consumer the doughnuts are fresh and hot),” LaJoie said. “Krispy Kreme doughnuts hot, like the calories don’t really count. They just go down.

“That’s what a dog that’s hot right from the hot dog stand—tasteless. It’s like the calories don’t even count for a hot dog here.”