Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Kyle Busch were involved in an altercation after the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway Sunday.
The incident stemmed from when Stenhouse, driving aggressively on the opening lap, made a three-wide move that resulted in some contact with Busch.
In retaliation, Busch intentionally crashed into Stenhouse on Lap 2, ending the latter’s race early.
Stenhouse told reporters afterward that he would be waiting for Busch after the race.
“I told (crew chief) Randall (Burnett) that, first I parked it there because I figured that Kyle would probably do something similar,” he said. “Then just told Randall that you can tell Kyle that I’ll see him afterwards over the radio since there’s no tunnel here I can’t leave. So, I’ll be here when the race is over.”
“Just watch afterward,” he added.
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Ricky Stenhouse Punches Kyle Busch
Following the race, tensions escalated as Stenhouse waited for Busch near his team’s hauler. Eventually, Stenhouse followed through on his threat.
Video captures the two arguing about the sequence of events. Stenhouse denies hitting Busch on the track.
“Go back and watch the replay, I didn’t touch you. Not once,” he can be heard telling Busch.
“We all hit each other,” Busch responded.
“You hit the fence and then you hit me,” Stenhouse countered. Busch wasn’t buying it.
“I don’t believe it, but if that’s what happened, OK,” he said.
Stenhouse replied, “Go back and watch it.”
At that point, what seemed like simply a tense argument turned into a brawl as Ricky Stenhouse blindsided Kyle Bush with a fist.
The two scrummed a bit before Stenhouse’s father jumps in and begins throwing punches at Busch.
The brawl was eventually broken up.
“Bring it, I don’t give a f—!” Busch was heard yelling.
PUNCHES THROWN AT NORTH WILKESBORO 👀 pic.twitter.com/jLCrcf1noA
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) May 20, 2024
Matt Weaver of Sportsnaut got an alternate angle of the fight as well:
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They Get Along Outside The Track
Stenhouse, in comments following the fight, seems confused as to why Busch has an issue with him. In fact, he says, they get along off the track.
“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,” Stenhouse told Fox.
“We never had any issues, and then I wrecked 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 OK outside the racetrack. I talk to him quite a bit.”
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. spoke with @JamieLittleTV after throwing a punch at Kyle Busch. #NASCAR #AllStarRace pic.twitter.com/NeHQFkjjS4
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) May 20, 2024
It seems pretty clear Stenhouse intended to throw a punch at some point during the altercation. You don’t go from ‘I don’t believe you but OK’ to swinging on a guy if you hadn’t planned to do that from the beginning.
After all was said and done, Joey Logano won the NASCAR All-Star race and the $1 million that came with it.
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