Ricky Stenhouse Jr. pokes fun at Wikesboro pedestrian bridge in reference to scuffle with Kyle Busch last year

It’s been a year since Ricky Stenhouse Jr. took a swing at Kyle Busch at North Wilkesboro Speedway. And as this year’s All-Star Race inches closer, the fans are reminded of that infamous fistfight between the two drivers, which ultimately ignited a brawl between the rival crew members.

Last year, there was no way out of the infield, so the scuffle had to happen in part. However, recently, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) constructed a $2 million pedestrian bridge, which will allow people who park in the lots south of US 421 to get to the speedway easily.

During a recent interview with North Wilkesboro, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. recalled his fight with the two-time Cup Series champion. Joking about how he had asked the officials to name the bridge after him, the Hyak Motorsports driver said:

“I got excited when I heard they did a pedestrian bridge. I thought it was to get out of the infield. I was gonna ask them if they put my name on it.”

Stenhouse Jr. couldn't finish last year’s event as he felt Busch had wrecked him early in the race, ending his day. He wants to finish all 250 laps scheduled for the feature this time.

“I plan on running the whole race which I planned on last year so hopefully, I can see the checkered flag and then just walk out,” Stenhouse Jr. added.

Fans can watch Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in action on Fox Sports 1 (May 18, 8 pm ET onwards) or listen to radio updates on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. lets out a clear-cut warning; says he could get “fired up” again

A few days back, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. said that if he gets ousted from contention as early as he was last year, it would fire him up again. Winning the All-Star Race doesn’t award points, but a wreck does destroy one’s car, which can cost up to $350,000 when race-ready.

“If you get crashed on accident, it's one thing,” explained the driver via a statement. “Crashing on purpose is a totally different thing, especially in an exhibition race, not going for the win. So yeah, I mean, definitely no regrets.”

Veteran journalist Jordan Bianchi uploaded a video last year that showed the fight from the beginning to the end. Today, that video has over seven million views. Needless to say, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. gained quite a few fans after punching Rowdy Busch. But it also got him a $75,000 fine.

“I think I gained a decent amount of fans out of it,” smiled Ricky Stenhouse Jr. “It cost a little bit, but yeah, it's part of it. I think, hopefully this year, I don't plan on being out the first lap and plan on making the end of the race, so hopefully that all works out."

A week from the All-Star Race, Stenhouse Jr. will enter the 66th running of the Coca-Cola 600. He won the Daytona 500 in 2023, so winning this year’s Coke 600 will mark his second crown jewel race win.