NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. — NASCAR drivers have been known to trade paint during races. Ricky Stenhouse and Kyle Busch traded punches after the 40th NASCAR All-Star race on Sunday.
Stenhouse’s hopes of winning his first All-Star race ended on the race’s second lap at North Wilkesboro Speedway, NASCAR.com reported.
Stenhouse was attempting to make a three-wide pass between Busch and Denny Hamlin after the race began. Busch retaliated by making contact with Stenhouse’s No. 47 Chevrolet and sending it into a wall, according to the website.
The fight start pic.twitter.com/B5gZYj4aWB
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) May 20, 2024
Stenhouse, visibly upset, pulled his vehicle down pit road and parked in Busch’s stall, The Associated Press reported. He climbed a ladder to yell at Busch’s pit crew, according to the news organization.
“We passed him he left the middle open,” Stenhouse told Fox Sports. “Short race, you’re trying to get all you can get. We passed him and I guess he was mad. So I parked my car in the pit box, I figured he would do something like that, so maybe Richard (Childress) will hold my watch after the race.”
The real fireworks happened after the race, when Stenhouse confronted Busch in the garage area, NASCAR.com reported.
Words were exchanged and Stenhouse threw a punch. NASCAR security personnel and crew members moved in to separate the two drivers.
“I wrecked him one time at Daytona and he’s been kind of bad-mouthing me ever since,” Stenhouse Jr. told Fox Sports. “I feel like we get along with each other outside the race track … I’m not sure why he was so mad that I shoved it three-wide.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. says he told Kyle Busch’s crew chief to let him know that he’ll see him later. There is no tunnel, so Stenhouse is stuck here waiting to confront Busch. pic.twitter.com/1h8RFHWARL
— Toby Christie (@Toby_Christie) May 20, 2024
“(It was) definitely built-up frustration with how he runs his mouth all the time about (me). I know he’s frustrated because he doesn’t run near as good as he used to.”
Busch declined a request for a post-fight interview with a pool reporter, according to Fox Sports.
But before his confrontation with Stenhouse, Busch made a few comments as he walked to his trailer.
“I’m tired of being run over by everybody,” Busch said. “But that’s what everybody does. Everybody runs over everybody to pass everybody.”
What Kyle Busch said about the contact with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. as he walked to his hauler, where Stenhouse was waiting. pic.twitter.com/BAfXStPOsM
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) May 20, 2024
The race was won by Joey Logano, who led 199 of 200 laps and earned the $1 million prize.
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