An ugly scene unfolded during Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star race when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Kyle Busch clashed on the track. Just two laps into the race, Stenhouse Jr. crashed out, and he squarely blamed Busch for the incident. Let’s dive into the details of what happened.
🥊 @StenhouseJr with a haymaker to @KyleBusch post-race! 😳 #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/RfKBhqUwj7
— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) May 20, 2024
On lap 2 of the race, Busch made contact with Ricky Stenhouse, sending him into the wall. Stenhouse’s car went head-on into the barrier, effectively taking him out of contention for the $1 million prize. After the race, Stenhouse and Busch engaged in an animated conversation. Stenhouse expressed his frustration with Busch’s aggressive racing style and the incident that led to his crash.
Ricky Stenhouse didn’t stop at words. He flung a fist at Busch, resulting in a melee involving their crew members. The North Wilkesboro track, lacking an infield exit during the race, forced Stenhouse to wait until the event was over before leaving the track.
Ricky Stenhouse’s Perspective
Stenhouse shared his side of the story: “I felt like Kyle and I have always raced each other really hard back to the Nationwide Series when we were competing for wins week in and week out. Never had any issues. I wrecked him one time at Daytona, and he’s kind of badmouthed me ever since then.”
He continued, “So definitely just built-up frustration with how he runs his mouth all the time about myself, but I know he’s frustrated because he doesn’t run near as good as he used to. We’re a single-car team over here and working really hard to get better each weekend.”
Another angle of the confrontation after the race. pic.twitter.com/JCgSZhEzwa
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 20, 2024
Kyle Busch’s Reaction
Busch appeared uninjured by the punch, and it wasn’t immediately clear if Stenhouse’s fist made serious contact. However, the tension between the two drivers was palpable. Busch’s crew members made it clear they didn’t want Stenhouse’s team near their hauler.
In the end, Joey Logano won the race after leading 199 of 200 laps. But the real drama unfolded between Stenhouse and Busch, leaving fans buzzing about the intense rivalry.
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