Podcast

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Reacts To Stenhouse-Busch Fight & NASCAR’s “Overreaction” To It

Published May 26, 2024 By Kynlee Christensen

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Dirty Mo Media / YouTube & FOX Sports

The recent fight between Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Kyle Busch at the NASCAR All-Star race last weekend has triggered a flurry of reactions across the racing community.

For those not in the know, the tension between Stenhouse and Busch came to a head during the opening laps of the race, with Stenhouse making contact with Busch, prompting a swift act of retaliation from Busch. This led to a brief brawl with Stenhouse punching Busch, ultimately resulting in a $75,000 fine for Stenhouse, with additional suspensions for two of his crew members and an indefinite suspension for his father, Richard Stenhouse.

You can watch the fight between Stenhouse and Busch in the video below. Please be advised that the language and content in the video may not be suitable for all audiences.

The aftermath of the altercation has ignited diverse and impassioned responses from the NASCAR community and beyond.

Many believe that Stenhouse’s $75,000 fine, the largest in NASCAR’s history for fighting, was excessive, particularly due to a few reasons.

The public have raised concerns about the perceived unfairness of Stenhouse’s hefty fine, especially in light of the absence of penalties for Busch and his team. Furthermore, Busch’s open admission of retaliation and NASCAR’s widespread promotion of the altercation has further fueled the debate surrounding the incident.

One fan even tweeted, “This is dead wrong if you plan on using the wreck of fight for promotions moving forward…you can’t fine a guy then show it to sell tickets at NASCAR events…double standard…Ricky saved the All Star race.”

One prominent voice that has weighed in on the issue is Dale Earnhardt Jr., who offered his insights on the altercation and the subsequent fallout on his Dirty Mo Media podcast.

He expressed his belief that Stenhouse’s fine was “unfair” and an “overreaction” from NASCAR.

“I don’t think we need fighting every week and drivers just going nuts on each other over nothing, so yeah, penalize him. I think he should have been penalized, I just thought it was a little overreacted and overblown because of how sensationalized it had gotten.”

Unlike some of the public’s’ opinions, he also voiced support for NASCAR’s use of the footage to promote upcoming races, recognizing its potential to attract viewers.

“They should. I want them to because I want people tuning in, and I believe it does make people tune in.”

Listen to Dale Earnhardt Jr. talk more about the incident in the video below.