“Dirtiest drivers I’ve ever raced with”: Dean Thompson was not a happy man post-NASCAR race at North Wilkesboro

NASCAR kicked off its revival of North Wilkesboro Speedway as an alive and well venue of stock car racing with the Craftsman Truck Series Race on Saturday. The 0.625-mile-long track saw racing action on the cracked, old tarmac after more than 25 years since the last NASCAR event on the short track.

The Tyson 250 kicked off the action with 250 miles of the oval in the junior nationwide series of the sport. The event ultimately saw Cup Series drivers Bubba Wallace and Kyle Larson battle during the final stages of the race for a chance to visit Victory Lane.

However, with more than 10 caution periods during various stages in the race, many other drivers were left either wrecked or pissed off with the activity on track.

One such example was the driver of the #5 Toyota Tundra TRD fielded by TRICON Garage in the series, Dean Thompson. The young 21-year-old was seen livid after getting hit by Hailie Deegan during green flag running, causing him to retire from the race.

He elaborated, or the lack thereof, on the incident in a post-race interview and said:

"That's what the Truck Series is, it's all take and no give. Dirtiest drivers I've ever raced with."

Upon being asked further about the incident, Thompson continued to thank his team and sponsors, while giving no further insight into his thoughts. Meanwhile, Hailie Deegan managed to finish in P20 during the 250-mile-long event, driving the #13 Ford F150 fielded by ThorSport Racing.

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Kyle Larson elaborates after winning the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at North Wilkesboro

Hendrick Motorsports and NASCAR Next Gen #5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 driver Kyle Larson is one of the few drivers on double duty this weekend.

The Elk Grove, California native battled alongside fellow NASCAR Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace during the final stages of the race. Larson managed to overtake Wallace, who suffered on worn-out tires. The 30-year-old elaborated after he got out of his car and said:

"It was great to win and great to have speed and cool to get to race with a group of drivers that I've probably never raced with before.Had a lot of fun, learned a lot and look forward to the rest of the weekend."

The All Star Race goes live on FOX Sports at 8:00 pm ET on Sunday, May 21, 2023.