Chase Elliott, NASCAR’s hottest driver, had pointed criticism for NASCAR after the sanctioning physique issued a file high-quality earlier this week in opposition to 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 Collection 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 high-quality issued in NASCAR historical past for a driver combating. Elliott appeared in disbelief upon studying the precise greenback determine.
“Seventy-five thousand? Wow,” Elliott stated. “I heard he acquired fined, however I didn’t realize 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 commonplace the place NASCAR has touted the combat a number of instances, but not solely penalized Stenhouse however did so by handing down a file high-quality.
“That looks as if quite a bit for that scenario,” Elliott stated. “You’re going to high-quality him, however you’re going to advertise with it? Like what are we doing? That’s slightly unusual to me.
“That’s some huge cash to high-quality a man. It’s not OK, however we’re going to blast it throughout every part to get extra clicks. I don’t actually agree with that.”
Elliott just isn’t the one driver to lift the difficulty. Daniel Suarez posted an identical sentiment on X.
“If it’s so fallacious then why is it throughout NASCAR social channels?” Suarez posted. “We needs 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 trade 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 group, mechanic Clint Myrick for eight races and engine tuner Keith Matthews for 4 races.
Though NASCAR has not all the time 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 whenever you wait, you understand, 198 laps and also you make these choices that had been made, we’re going to react to that,” Sawyer stated on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “There might have been totally different choices made.
“We would like the 2 drivers to have the ability to have their time to precise 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 choice to droop Stenhouse Sr. was in step with NASCAR’s coverage that non-competitors are to not contain themselves in confrontations.
Required studying
(Photograph: Sean Gardner / Getty Photos)
