Ricky Stenhouse Jr. fined $75K for clash with Kyle Busch after NASCAR All-Star Race
NASCAR has fined Ricky Stenhouse Jr. $75,000 for punching fellow driver Kyle Busch during an altercation at last Sunday's All-Star Race in North Wilkesboro Speedway.
In addition, two members of Stenhouse's No. 47 JTG Daughtry Racing Team have been suspended following the incident in the Cup Series garage that was captured on video and went viral on social media.
"I think it’s fair to say that when you have crew members and family members that put their hands on our drivers, we’re going to react," NASCAR Senior Vice President of Competition Elton Sawyer said Wednesday morning on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Stenhouse and Busch clashed on the track shortly after the start of Sunday's non-points race, with Stenhouse's Chevrolet knocked out of competition after just two laps.
Stenhouse seemed to indicate a confrontation with Busch might be in the works after he was released from the infield care center. "I’ll handle it," he said to reporters. When asked for clarification, he added, "Eh, you can just watch afterward."
Once the race ended, Stenhouse was waiting for Busch outside the No. 8 team's hauler. Then chaos ensued.
"When you wait 198 laps and you make those decisions that were made, again, we’re going to react to that," Sawyer said.
In addition to Stenhouse's fine, No. 47 Team mechanic Clint Myrick was suspended for the next eight Cup Series races and tuner Keith Matthews was suspended for the next four.