Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s $75,000 fine the biggest in NASCAR history

NASCAR handed Ricky Stenhouse Jr. a hefty fine of $75,000 for starting a fight with Kyle Busch after the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway last Sunday. A recent X post by an industry expert states that it is the biggest fine issued specifically for a fight in the history of NASCAR.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Kyle Busch found themselves battling for position on the opening laps of the 200-lap event. Following a nudge to his Chevy, Busch retaliated with a hit to Stenhouse Jr.'s rear bumper that sent the latter into the outside wall. The JTG Daugherty Racing driver waited for Busch at the garage area and punched him in face on meeting him after the race.

The post on X read,

"The $75K fine for @StenhouseJr is the biggest fine @NASCAR has ever issued specifically for a fight.

Previously the biggest fine (that @JSchuoler & I have documented) for a fight confrontation was $50K to @TonyStewart in 2004 at @RaceSonoma."

Besides Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s penalty, two of his crew members have been suspended for several races over the next 8 weekends. Stenhouse Jr.'s father, Ricky Stenhouse Sr. also got involved in the All-Star brawl, which got him suspended indefinitely. All of these penalties were reportedly the results of violating NASCAR's Member Code of Conduct.

"When you wait 198 laps and you make those decisions that were made, we’re going to react to that,” NASCAR Senior Vice President of Competition Elton Sawyer said as reported by NBC News.

"Granted there was no tunnel, granted there was no crossover bridge, but better decisions could have been made throughout that period of time between the incident that happened on the race track and the incident that happened in the garage post race," Sawyer added.

NASCAR veteran Kenny Wallace sides with Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

According to former NASCAR driver and analyst Kenny Wallace, NASCAR should not have fined Stenhouse Jr. and his crew. On the contrary, Wallace feels NASCAR should pay Ricky Stenhouse Jr. for the promotional potential of the viral fight.

"My opinion is a strong one. NASCAR cannot promote and advertise that punch thrown if they're going to fine you," said Wallace in a recent video on his YouTube channel (1:03). "So in other words, they take everything to do with that fine and promote the h*ll out of it."

"They use it as promotion material, then they fine the man that gave them all the promotion material. That ain't right. NASCAR should pay Ricky Stenhouse Jr. $75,000. I'm serious. You can't have it both," he added.

NASCAR has not issued any penalty on Kyle Busch for nudging Ricky Stenhouse Jr. on lap 1. The latter came last in the All-Star Race while Kyle Busch finished 10th. Team Penske's Joey Logano took home the victory and the cash prize of $1 million.