“I had one guy bashing me”: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. shares hilarious incident with a fan at the Bowman Gray Stadium ahead of ‘The Clash’

With NASCAR returning to its roots at the Bowman Gray stadium for the first time since 1971 to kick off the 2025 Cup Series season, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. got a firsthand taste of what the fans at the Madhouse are like. The newly rebranded HYAK Motorsports driver took to Instagram and shared his experience of driving around the historic quarter-mile NASCAR circuit for the first time.

The fans at Bowman Gray Stadium are truly unique. Some lores have existed for decades about the fights and the carnage that was commonplace at the track. And it wasn't just among the fans either, fights between drivers were no rare thing during racing events at the track. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. shared a similar experience with a passionate fan while he was out studying the track.

"The fans are rowdy. I had one guy bashing me, but then by the time I left, he was pumping me up to go get after it tonight," Stenhouse Jr said.

It also seems as if NASCAR itself is not hesitant to relive the historic customs of Bowman Gray as revealed by Kyle Busch. Busch humorously claimed that during a meeting, NASCAR went as far as pre-assigning driver matchups for potential fights.

"We already met in the NASCAR hauler and they gave us the list of who is supposed to fight who. I can't disclose that. Stay tuned," Busch said.

Veteran driver Tim Brown, who holds the record for the most wins at the track, joked that fighting is almost a prerequisite at Bowman Gray. Reflecting on his 30-year career, Brown estimated being involved in about ten brawls, claiming he won every single one of them.

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Ricky Stenhouse Jr. shares his thoughts on the Bowman Gray track

While Ricky Stenhouse Jr. had a goofy interaction with fans, what he was really after was to get a read of the track itself to best prepare for the Cook Out Clash on Sunday. He explained how he found the track to be legitimate compared to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum which hosted the exhibition race at the start of the season in previous years.

"You know, I think the track looks legit. I feel like it's more of a track than LA. Excited to make some laps. Obviously, it is a super historic place," he shared.

He then went on to give his thoughts on the characteristics of the track like the space at the exits of the corners and how much traction he expects getting out of the corners on race day.

"Exit of the corners are a little narrower than I thought they were, sim seemed to have a little bit more room but watching them was odd sliding around everywhere, it actually feels kind of sticky out there. So it'll be interesting to see how our cars handle it. I am not sure how much we're gonna use the concrete," Ricky Stenhouse Jr. added.

The 37-year-old even mentioned that he saw turtle shells on the track, which he obviously didn't expect. However, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. anticipates a lot of fun on Sunday and is ready to kick off the season with a good result albeit the race won't pay any points to the drivers.