Only two laps into Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s night was done.
Contact with Kyle Busch at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway eventually turned into Busch sending Stenhouse’s No. 47 Chevrolet into the outside wall, ending his chances of $1 million.
Stenhouse responded by parking his battered race car in Busch’s pit stall and speaking to Busch’s crew chief Randall Burnett.
“Never had any issues and then I wrecked him one time at Daytona and he’s been kinda bad-mouthing me ever since then,” Stenhouse told FOX Sports after the race. “I feel like we get along with each other OK outside the race track.”
Without an infield tunnel to leave the 0.625-mile oval, Stenhouse had 198 laps to stew inside the race track.
During his media availability following the wreck, Stenhouse called his shot after being asked how he planned to handle the incident.
“Watch after the race,” Stenhouse said.
Sure enough, as Joey Logano celebrated on the frontstretch after winning the event, Stenhouse and Busch exchanged words before the JTG Daugherty Racing driver had enough.
Stenhouse delivered a right-hook to Busch’s face as fireworks began.
Both Stenhouse and Busch’s crews got involved before the fight was eventually broken up.
After the altercation, Stenhouse took issue with Busch’s reasoning to wreck him early in the event.
“I’m not sure why he was so mad,” Stenhouse said. “I shoved it three-wide, but he hit the fence and kinda came off the wall and ran into me. When I was talking to him, he kept saying that I wrecked him.
“Definitely built up frustration with how he runs his mouth all the time about myself.
“I know he’s frustrated because he doesn’t run near as good as he used to. I understand that, we’re a single-car team over here. We’re working really hard to go out and get better each and every weekend.”
As he continued on, Stenhouse admitted not being able to leave the race track didn’t help ease tensions.
“Being stuck in here definitely doesn’t help the frustration,” Stenhouse said. “If there was a tunnel, I’d have probably been home watching the end of that, but here we are.”
Stenhouse finished 20th while Busch placed 10th in the exhibition race.