Chase Elliott, NASCAR’s hottest driver, had pointed criticism for NASCAR after the sanctioning physique issued a document advantageous earlier this week towards Ricky Stenhouse Jr. for his position in a battle 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 positioning of Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600.
Stenhouse was fined $75,000, the biggest advantageous 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 obtained fined, however I didn’t comprehend 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 battle throughout its social media channels. What Elliott took exception to is what he sees as a double normal the place NASCAR has touted the battle a number of instances, but not solely penalized Stenhouse however did so by handing down a document advantageous.
“That looks like quite a bit for that state of affairs,” Elliott stated. “You’re going to advantageous 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 advantageous a man. It’s not OK, however we’re going to blast it throughout every thing to get extra clicks. I don’t actually agree with that.”
Elliott will not be the one driver to boost the difficulty. Daniel Suarez posted an identical sentiment on X.
“If it’s so mistaken then why is it throughout NASCAR social channels?” Suarez posted. “We must be allowed to indicate 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 change of phrases, Stenhouse punched Busch within the head. That triggered a battle 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. battle after the All-Star Race. pic.twitter.com/IJMttBw90W
— Jordan Bianchi (@Jordan_Bianchi) May 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 all the time penalized drivers who battle, the distinction, NASCAR senior vp of competitors Elton Sawyer defined Wednesday, was that Stenhouse had ample time to chill down earlier than initiating the battle.
“I’ll say whenever you wait, you understand, 198 laps and also you make these selections that have been made, we’re going to react to that,” Sawyer stated 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 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 determination to droop Stenhouse Sr. was in line with NASCAR’s coverage that non-competitors are to not contain themselves in confrontations.
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(Photograph: Sean Gardner / Getty Photographs)