The All-Star Race at the newly repaved North Wilkesboro Speedway would have been a lackluster event without the post-race antics of Stenhouse and Busch. Yes, the option tires that Goodyear provided the teams ended up not making much of a difference at all. Barring the outlier Bristol race, the next gen car has yet to put on a great short track race. Meanwhile, NASCAR remains committed to not increasing the horsepower. According to Kevin Harvick, that’s because they fear a loss of parity and another era of “the big three.”
Personally, I would love to see another era of “the big three.” Sports need superstars. The whole point of competition is to see the best and most skilled rise to the top of the sport. Apparently, NASCAR is committed to a more socialist approach to sports. When it comes to short track racing, this really shows. The All-Star Race was as boring as the options for consumers in a Soviet Union grocery store!
In the end, it matters not what I think. Furthermore, it matters not what Kevin Harvick or Richard Petty thinks either. Most certainly, it does not matter what the NASCAR fan thinks. NASCAR has already made it clear that drivers (and thus also fans) need to adapt to this amount of horsepower. If NASCAR wants to keep its fans and its low HP, then it will need to adapt as well. There should be no penalties for post-race altercations such as those seen at North Wilkesboro between Stenhouse and Busch.
"I suck just as bad as you. Let's go!" #NASCAR #RaceHub pic.twitter.com/0JsdJQXRsu
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) May 21, 2024
Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. versus Kyle Busch
Like all post-race altercations, this one began on the track. In the first couple laps, Kyle Busch was on the top of a three wide battle and got into the wall. Rightfully frustrated, Kyle Busch mistakenly placed blame for this incident on Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. The #8 car was driven into the back of the #47 in the turn, which wrecked badly enough to be put out of the race on the second lap. Stenhouse parked his damaged vehicle in the #8 pit stall and climbed up on the pit box to have a word with the #8 RCR pit crew.
Busch’s Background Frustration led to the On-Track Incident
Kyle Busch has been one of the more outspoken critics of both the next gen car and the style of racing it creates. The lack of horsepower really takes a lot out of the drivers’ hands. It would be fair to state that low downforce and high horsepower takes more skill from both the crew chief and the driver. It’s all about driving on the edge and making it work, which allows for more passing. When you make everything the same in the fashion that NASCAR has (more downforce and less horsepower), it could be argued that you lowered the bar when it comes to skill. If I was Kyle Busch, I’d be pretty frustrated with the next gen car as well.
That frustration was finally unleashed on Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. in the All-Star Race. It certainly didn’t look like Stenhouse had gotten into Kyle Busch at all. Honestly, it looked like another one of those “next-gen” racing deals. Everyone is trying to get all they can early in a run. Kyle Busch was just finally fed up with it, and it didn’t seem to matter that Stenhouse had done nothing to him.
The Post-Race Altercation
Stenhouse mentioned that maybe Richard Childress could hold his watch for him after the race in an interview with NASCAR on FOX. Many fans, myself included, had forgotten about the on-track incident between Stenhouse and Busch. There were simply other stories to watch, even if there wasn’t a lot of great racing to watch. We watched in disbelief as the option tire proved to be a futile effort. Personally, as a Harvick fan, I was hoping to see Kyle Larson pull off the win. Otherwise, we’d have to hear Clint Bowyer claim he could have set up the car better for a week.
By the time Joey Logano won the race, the audience was half asleep. I’m sure many fans even turned off the television in disgust at another lackluster next gen short track race. I know I did. Thankfully, as I was preparing to complain on X, I stumbled across footage of Ricky Stenhouse confronting Kyle Busch. Stenhouse looked rather angry, and he must have been. He waited around for the race to end. It reminded me of a much younger Kevin Harvick waiting for an Xfinity race to end so he could confront Greg Biffle.
Then Stenhouse threw a punch and connected. At this point, I sat my phone down, scrambled for the television remote, and actually turned the television back on. This was by far the most interesting NASCAR next gen short track racing has been since they started racing these things. Ultimately, I had forgotten just how terrible the race I just watched had actually been.
As Good as it Gets…
This is as good as NASCAR short track racing is going to get as long as the next gen car is driven without increasing horsepower. NASCAR isn’t budging. They want all the drivers to, as Kyle Busch would put it, suck the same as everyone else. Drivers should adapt. As long as they aren’t hooking another driver in the right rear on the straightaway, knock the living crap out of each other. Dive bomb each other on lap 2. Use the bumper excessively if need be. As Harvick suggested, drive dirtier. Finally, do not be afraid of throwing a punch after the race.
Stenhouse and Busch should be given some type of award for saving the All-Star Race. Thus far, no penalties have been issued. If NASCAR wants to keep (and grow) its fan base, then please stay out of it. Yes, I am very skeptical that NASCAR, under its current leadership, is capable of not micro-managing everything about their sport. Please, if you’re not going to increase horsepower on these short tracks, let the drivers have at it. Let them drive dirty, and let them throw punches. Otherwise, you’re going to have to get rid of short track races.
Post-race altercations may be the only thing that can save short track racing in the next gen era. Promote that rather than trying to control it.
Update: NASCAR Proves they Don’t Want Fans or Viewers
No less than 30 minutes after publishing this, the micro-managers at NASCAR decided they do not want fans. Everyone must adapt to their boring vision.
NASCAR issues penalties from the Ricky Stenhouse Jr./Kyle Busch fight:
— Stenhouse Jr. $75k fine
— Stenhouse Sr. suspended indefinitely
— JTG mechanic Clint Myrick suspended eight races
— JTG tuner Keith Matthews suspended four races
— No penalties for Kyle Busch— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) May 22, 2024
Hail NASCAR!
this is one of many reasons I quit NASCAR
NASCAR execs definitely seem to be out of touch with their fan base.