Fighting in NASCAR makes the sport interesting. Even NASCAR knows it. They will still use the footage from the 1979 Daytona 500 when Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough threw hands in turn three after wrecking on the final lap of the Great American Race. Some would argue that the fight put stock car racing on the map and made and turned NASCAR into must-see TV. However, over the years the inconsistency from the governing body has left fans and drivers frustrated and unsure of what they can do over this past weekend, NASCAR set a very dangerous precedent.
The Wreck
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On the second lap of the All-Star Race Ricky Stenhouse Jr. got under Kyle Busch. Busch went up into the wall only scrapping the wall. Busch’s contact with the wall wasn’t even enough to bring out a caution. As they came screaming down the straight, Busch used his front bumper to turn Stenhouse into the outside wall taking him out of the race and Busch kept running.
98 laps later with the race complete Stenhouse and Busch were met by the haulers and a fight broke out. Stenhouse landed a shot across the face of Busch. Crew members scramble trying to separate drivers other crew members partake in fisticuffs including Stenhouse’s father Ricky Stenhouse Sr. Just the prototypical short track fight in the infield we see all over the country on a smaller stage every single weekend.
Kyle Busch told reporters after the fight:
“It’s the first lap of the race, we don’t even have water temp in the car yet and we’re wrecking each other off of [Turn] 2,I’m tired of getting run over by everybody. But that’s what everybody does. Everybody runs over everybody to pass everybody.”
Stenhouse Jr. told FOX pit reporter Jamie Little:
“I felt like Kyle and I have always raced each other really hard, you know, back to the Nationwide Series when we were competing for wins week-in and week-out and never had any issues, And then, I wrecked him one time at Daytona and he’s kinda bad-mouthed me ever since then. Definitely built-up frustration with how he runs his mouth all the time about myself. I know he’s frustrated because he doesn’t run near as good as he used to. I understand that. We’re a single-car team over here. We’re working really hard to go out and get better every weekend. We had a really good game plan coming in … and he ruined it.”
NASCAR Hands Out Fines and Suspensions
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NASCAR fined Stenhouse Jr. $75k, suspended Stenhouse Sr. indefinitely, suspended JTG personnel Clint Myrick for eight races Keith Mathews for four races and Kyle Busch got off scot-free. Just to be extremely clear the precedent set forth by NASCAR is that it is ok to use your 3300-pound car as a weapon but no fighting in the infield.
At places like North Wilkesboro, Martinsville, and Richmond it is more acceptable to exact revenge on a competitor you feel has wronged you due to lower speeds and the car can absorb the impact causing no physical harm to the driver. Places like Las Vegas, Kansas, and Michigan with far higher speeds are dangerous and can cause drivers to miss races or end their careers.
The way Stenhouse handled it is absolutely on par with NASCAR history on short tracks. The way NASCAR handled it was far different than years past, and on top of it all, they will use the footage from the fight until the end of time to build up hype. This is just one of many things fans have gripes with the sport. Stenhouse smartly sends a cryptic message through reporters:
“I told him I might crash him at Charlotte — I’m not gonna crash him at Charlotte, Then that just keeps it going, right? So, as far as my end goes, I feel like I’m past it.”
What to Expect
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For those who are new to NASCAR, I will lay out what to expect from Stenhouse and Busch. I don’t believe Stenhouse will try anything this weekend in the 600. Most drivers will wait for a short track to settle exact revenge. It’s slower, safer, and easier to get revenge at the short tacks. Luckily for Stenhouse Short tracks are coming up early and often.
WWT raceway, Iowa, and New Hampshire are all short tracks coming up in a few weeks giving Stenhouse plenty of opportunity to get under Kyle Busch and then get “loose” in the corner and “accidentally” take Busch out. At least that is what I would do if I was Stenhouse.
About The Author
Dillon Hildreth is a writer for Total Apex and a lifelong fan of Football with his favorite teams being the New England Patriots and the Georgia Bulldogs. Dillon is also a fan of Motorsports Red Bull in Formula One and William Byron in NASCAR. You can catch Dillon Stream F1, NASCAR, and other video games and sidecasts on Twitch.
