Behavioral penalties were issued by NASCAR officials to NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series drivers Matt Crafton and Nick Sanchez following their altercation at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway last weekend.
Crafton, driver of the ThorSport Racing Ford, was fined $25,000 for punching Sanchez in the garage after an incident on the track left the No. 88 behind the wall for the final nine laps of the Love’s RV Stop 250.
Sanchez, who competes full time for Rev Racing aboard the No. 2 Chevrolet, was fined $5,000 in the altercation for using violent threats towards Crafton. The 22-year-old finished seventh in the race.
Prior to their altercation, Crafton stopped in the No. 2 team’s pit stall, dismounted, directing harsh words at the team before walking to the garage area.
On Tuesday after the fines were handed down, Sanchez released a statement.
— Nicholas Sanchez (@Nicksanchez080) October 3, 2023
“At this time I will accept NASCAR’s penalty issued after the post-race occurence at Talladega. It is a very unfortunate situation that negatively impacted a lot of individuals and the sport we are all so very passionate about and privileged to participate in each day.”
Sanchez’s father, Rene Sanchez, was also penalized for his actions during the scuffle, as he’s been suspended from NASCAR for the final two Truck Series races of the season.
