Chase Elliott, NASCAR’s hottest driver, had pointed criticism for NASCAR after the sanctioning physique issued a report superb earlier this week towards Ricky Stenhouse Jr. for his function in a combat following final Sunday’s All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro.
Elliott was conscious Stenhouse had been fined for throwing a punch at Kyle Busch, however the 2020 Cup Sequence champion didn’t know the precise quantity earlier than being knowledgeable throughout a press convention Friday at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the location of Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600.
Stenhouse was fined $75,000, the most important superb issued in NASCAR historical past for a driver preventing. Elliott appeared in disbelief upon studying the precise greenback determine.
“Seventy-five thousand? Wow,” Elliott mentioned. “I heard he received fined, however I didn’t understand it was $75,000.
“Yeah, that’s quite a bit. That’s some huge cash. That appears wild to me.”
The shocked response by Elliott stems from the truth that NASCAR fined Stenhouse regardless of actively sharing footage of the combat throughout its social media channels. What Elliott took exception to is what he sees as a double normal the place NASCAR has touted the combat a number of occasions, but not solely penalized Stenhouse however did so by handing down a report superb.
“That looks as if quite a bit for that scenario,” Elliott mentioned. “You’re going to superb him, however you’re going to advertise with it? Like what are we doing? That’s somewhat unusual to me.
“That’s some huge cash to superb a man. It’s not OK, however we’re going to blast it throughout every little thing to get extra clicks. I don’t actually agree with that.”
Elliott just isn’t the one driver to lift the problem. Daniel Suarez posted an identical sentiment on X.
“If it’s so incorrect then why is it throughout NASCAR social channels?” Suarez posted. “We ought to be allowed to point out our feelings, I don’t get it.”
Stenhouse confronted Busch following the All-Star Race after Busch appeared to deliberately wreck him on the second lap of the non-points occasion for what Busch thought was an excessively aggressive transfer on the opening lap.
Upon completion of the race, Stenhouse waited for Busch at Busch’s Richard Childress Racing hauler, a span of 90-plus minutes from the time he crashed till the confrontation. After Stenhouse and Busch had a brief, heated alternate of phrases, Stenhouse punched Busch within the head. That triggered a combat between their respective groups, which included Stenhouse’s dad charging at Busch and beginning a bodily confrontation between them.
Kyle Busch and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. combat after the All-Star Race. pic.twitter.com/IJMttBw90W
— Jordan Bianchi (@Jordan_Bianchi) Might 20, 2024
Busch was not suspended for his actions. NASCAR suspended Ricky Stenhouse Sr. indefinitely, whereas additionally suspending two members of Stenhouse Jr.’s JTG Daugherty Racing staff, mechanic Clint Myrick for eight races and engine tuner Keith Matthews for 4 races.
Though NASCAR has not at all times penalized drivers who combat, the distinction, NASCAR senior vice chairman of competitors Elton Sawyer defined Wednesday, was that Stenhouse had ample time to chill down earlier than initiating the combat.
“I’ll say while you wait, you recognize, 198 laps and also you make these selections that had been made, we’re going to react to that,” Sawyer mentioned on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “There might have been completely different selections made.
“We wish the 2 drivers to have the ability to have their time to specific their variations. However once more, as soon as it escalates to the place there’s been a bodily altercation there, once more, we’re going to react.”
Busch was not penalized as a result of NASCAR couldn’t decide that he deliberately wrecked Stenhouse.
NASCAR’s resolution to droop Stenhouse Sr. was in keeping with NASCAR’s coverage that non-competitors are to not contain themselves in confrontations.
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(Picture: Sean Gardner / Getty Photographs)
