CONCORD, N.C. —
Stenhouse’s father, Ricky Sr. — who has no affiliation with his son’s team — was suspended indefinitely by NASCAR on Wednesday for his role in the fracas when he went after Busch. Stenhouse mechanic Clint Myrick was suspended for eight races and engine tuner Keith Matthews for four races for their roles in the fight.
Stenhouse and Busch tangled on the first lap, and then Busch seemed to deliberately wreck Stenhouse on the next lap. Stenhouse rolled his damaged Chevrolet down pit lane and parked it in Busch’s pit stall. He then climbed the spotter’s ladder and exchanged words with members of Busch’s crew before retreating to his hauler.
Stenhouse stewed in the infield for about two hours, waiting on Busch to finish the race, then confronted him and threw a punch, igniting a melee between the teams.
“I think, really, what we all want is consistency and knowing what the rule is and what’s OK and what’s not OK,” All-Star Race winner Joey Logano said. “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. That’s a lot to ask for because every situation could be a little bit different. It’s a judgment call. There’s no black and white.”
Both Stenhouse and Busch plan to race Sunday.
