CONCORD, N.C. — After crashing after contact with Kyle Busch on lap two of last week’s NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. didn’t leave North Wilkesboro Speedway until he got the last swing — literally.
Waiting for him beside the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing hauler, Stenhouse entered a heated conversation with the two-time champion before landing a punch. As fireworks blasted in celebration of winner Joey Logano, a giant melee commenced.
Those actions have consequences.
NASCAR hit the former Daytona 500 champion with a $75,000 fine, the largest in the 76-year history of the sport. Two crew members on the No. 47 JTG Daugherty team got suspended, and Stenhouse’s father, Richard, got indefinitely suspended.
Because he won, Logano didn’t see much of the altercation in real time. But big picture, he wants to see consistency from the sanctioning body.
“I’m glad I’m not in the middle of it,” Logano said in a press conference Friday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. “What we all want is consistency and knowing what the rule is and what’s OK and what’s not OK. That’s really all you ask for. Whether it’s the car or restarts or altercations apparently, just let me know the rules is what I want to know. What is the price I’m about to pay if I make this decision and is it worth it? That’s really how it’s got to be is just looking for consistency in that to where it’s the same all the time, and I know it’s hard to do.
“Every situation could be a little bit different. It’s a judgment call. There’s no black and white. When you look at a post-race altercation at what point is sometimes it’s OK and sometimes it’s not? I don’t know. I’d like to have a little bit more clarity on it to be honest with you, but I don’t know the answers.”
Though no issues of late, Logano’s been in physical altercations after races. He and Denny Hamlin have fought multiple times, including after the Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway spring race in 2013 and the Martinsville (Va.) Speedway playoff race in 2019. In 2017, Logano punched and bloodied Busch at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Logano didn’t comment on Stenhouse’s fine specifically.
Meanwhile, Chase Elliott learned of the amount during his media session on Friday.
“$75,000?” Elliott asked, cutting off a reporter. “Wow … I heard he got fined, but I didn’t know it was $75,000.
“Yeah, that’s a lot … that’s a lot of money. That seems wild to me.”
NASCAR promoted the fight on its social channels, including four consecutive posts on X. The posts amounted to more than 5 million views, including 3.3 million on one video alone. The same video has 2.3 million views on NASCAR’s Instagram page.
“You’re going to fine him, but you’re going to promote with it … like what are we doing?” Elliott exclaimed. “That’s a little strange to me. That’s just the first thought that comes to my mind, is that’s a lot of money to fine a guy. It’s not OK, but we’re going to blast it all over everything to get more clicks.
“I don’t really agree with that.”