The last time NASCAR Cup Series drivers went out on track to place their bids for a chance to win $1 million at North Wilkesboro Speedway, Kyle Busch and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. clashed off track to exchange blows after a disagreement led to a heated argument.
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Controversy between the two drivers started on the first lap of the race last year, with Stenhouse Jr. pushing Michael McDowell and Busch to make it three wide during the initial laps of the event. A frustrated Busch retaliated quickly on the subsequent lap.
Owing to the old school layout of the track and the facility not having an exit tunnel, Stenhouse Jr. retired from the race following Busch’s retaliation and could not leave the venue. The then JTG Daugherty Racing driver stayed until the end of the race to make his feelings known — in spectacular fashion — to his Richard Childress Racing counterpart.
A year on from the whole ordeal, what do the competitors think of their 2024 brawl?
“I’ve apologized to him for like, ‘Hey, sorry that kind of got out of hand.’ And on the other hand, he’s like, ‘Yeah, it’s kind of deserving, right?’ So he knew what he did on purpose, and so I would say we both probably could have done things different, but yeah, just part of it,” Stenhouse Jr. shared his stance now that tempers have cooled since 2024.
The #47 Chevrolet driver also tried to explain why he reacted the way he did last year, mentioning how a driver’s first instinct is pure rage when taken out on purpose — which, in his view, was the case with Busch.
Stenhouse joked about how he gained popularity in the sport, going against one of NASCAR’s most polarizing figures, despite the fact that Kyle Busch has mellowed over the last few years. “Hopefully this year, I don’t plan on being out the first lap and plan on making the end of the race, so hopefully that all works out,” he previewed this Sunday’s race.
Stenhouse even went the extra mile to make a light-hearted comment on social media on one of Busch’s interview clips where he states he will be creating the competition caution scheduled for this year’s running of the race, asking him to pick a different driver to wreck this time around.
Just a heads up, may want to pick a different driver this year https://t.co/yRvLE6nzPd
— Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (@StenhouseJr) May 17, 2025
What does Kyle Busch have to say about the matter?
Echoing his competitor’s thoughts, the #8 RCR driver also seems to have put things from last year behind him. “I haven’t looked back on any of it, but him and I have just soft-spoken, just kind of how we were beforehand,” he said.
“If there’s occasions where we’re next to each other at driver intros, you know, it’s no big deal. Just is what it is. Move on and put that behind us,” he added about the incident, urging fans to move on from the same.
With both drivers not in top form heading into this weekend, all eyes will be on them if they find themselves side-by-side again.
