NASCAR's $80,000,000 star was once outwitted in a daring prank by SHR's driver Noah Gragson on fan day

Stewart-Haas Racing driver Noah Gragson once pulled a hilarious and daring prank on veteran driver and two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, 'Rowdy' Kyle Busch.

For the longest time, Busch has been one of the most prolific drivers in the world of motorsports. The Richard Childress Racing man, who is one of the highest-paid drivers on the circuit and has a net worth of $80 million (via Celebrity Net Worth), has been one of the most successful racers on and off the track.

However, the astute driver was once caught off-guard and outwitted during a fan meet by none other than a driver for his own team at the time, a young Noah Gragson.

The story dates back to 2018, a year when Gragson was still plying his trade in the NASCAR Truck Series, driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports. Busch, in the month of May, was engaging with his supporters on a "fan day", signing autographs and greeting his fans.

It was at that moment when Gragson approached Busch sporting a yellow No. 18 jacket, hat, and sunglasses, disguising himself as just another enthusiastic fan. For a brief moment, Busch legitimately thought he was yet another KFB enthusiast, as he signed the No. 51 die-cast.

However, whilst posing for a picture, Gragson ruffled Busch's hair, revealing his identity to the then-one-time NASCAR Cup Series champion. The pair subsequently burst into laughter.

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"Don't touch Kyle Busch's hair": Noah Gragson recalls the light-hearted prank

Referring to the prank, Noah Gragson recounted his approach, admitting to being intentionally pushy and even daring to ruffle Kyle Busch's hair—a move that momentarily baffled the seasoned racer. He told journalist Andrew Kurland shortly after the prank:

"I was being kinda rude to him, kinda very pushy towards him, which is funny looking back on it now. I touched his hair, told him he had nice hair. Don't ever touch Kyle Busch's hair, he was not thrilled at all. He was pretty upset with him."

Meanwhile, Kyle Busch commended Gragson for his ingenuity, admitting that the young driver's quick thinking had caught him off guard in the best possible way. He stated, via the aforementioned source:

"He came around wanting to get a picture and then as soon as he touched me on my head, I was like 'okay, there's something going on here. Somebody's messing with me. What's happening?' It was pretty good. It was a good little job he did there."

Since the incident, Busch has gone on to win yet another Cup Series Championship in 2019, cementing his legacy as one of the sport's all-time greats.

Meanwhile, Noah Gragson has since climbed up the NASCAR ranks. After finding success in the Xfinity Series, the 25-year-old now plies his trade in the Cup Series, where he is in his first season with Stewart-Haas Racing.