WATCH: Kyle Busch lands a punch on Ricky Stenhouse Sr. during the post-race altercation at North Wilkesboro

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Buckle Up South Carolina 200
Kyle Busch getting ready for NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Buckle Up South Carolina 200 race

As the NASCAR All-Star race at North Wilkesboro Speedway ended, an altercation between Kyle Busch and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. escalated into a brawl after the latter punched the former. During the heat of the moment, Busch also got involved with Stenhouse's dad, with both trading a few blows.

On lap 2 of the All-Star race, a gap opened up between Kyle Busch's #8 Chevrolet and Denny Hamlin's #11 Toyota after the former got a little loose at the rear. Trying to make the best of the opportunity, Stenhouse Jr. squeezed his #47 Chevrolet between Busch and Hamlin, creating a three-wide situation. This sudden move caused Busch to slap the outside wall and lose his position.

Kyle Busch tried to recover his lost position to Stenhouse Jr. by using the inside line. However, the two-time Cup Series champion misjudged the gap and tagged Stenhouse Jr., causing the latter to spin and hit the outside wall hard. The impact wrecked the 2023 Daytona 500 winner's Chevrolet, forcing him to retire early in the race.

A furious Stenhouse Jr. pulled his wrecked car into Busch’s pit stall and warned his crew that he would be waiting for the Las Vegas-based driver after the race. During the post-race interview, a journalist from Sportsnaut asked Stenhouse Jr.:

"How do you plan to handle it?"

Stenhouse Jr. coolly replied:

"Watch after the race."

Stenhouse Jr. confronted Busch near the latter's hauler after the race. While the confrontation started as a heated argument, Stenhouse Jr. suddenly punched Busch in the face and turned it into a full-blown fight.

NASCAR security managed to pull the #47 driver away. However, amidst all this chaos, Stenhouse Sr. entered the fight and grabbed Busch. Visibly shocked and angered, Busch landed a few blows on Stenhouse Sr. before they were separated by security personnel.

Here's a video of the altercation:

Jeff Gluck, a journalist for the Athletic, posted a video of Stenhouse Sr. punching Kyle Busch after grabbing him on X (formerly Twitter):


"I was excited for the rest of the night, and he [Kyle Busch] ruined it" - Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

While Kyle Busch declined an interview after the brawl, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. spoke with Jamie Little of FOX Sports after the fiasco. Little asked the JTG Daugherty Racing driver:

"Was this pent-up anger from just this moment, or does this go back before here?"

Stenhouse Jr. replied:

“I feel like Kyle and I have always raced each other really hard back to the [Xfinity] Series when we were competing for wins week-in and week-out. We never had any issues, and then I wrecked [him] one time at Daytona, and he’s kind of bad-mouthed me ever since then, so I feel like we get along with each other okay outside the racetrack. I talk to him quite a bit."

As the conversation progressed, Stenhouse Jr. highlighted how he felt positive about his car the entire weekend and was looking forward to a good result in the race. He further added:

"I was excited for the rest of the night, and he [Busch] ruined it."

For reference, Busch finished the All-Star race in the 10th position, while Stenhouse Jr. ended dead last after his retirement in lap 2.

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