“Won’t Be Watching Anymore”- Displeased Fans Take Issue With NASCAR After Shocking Reversal on Kyle Busch’s All-Star Antagonist

NASCAR doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to policing incidents off the race track. Initially, in the heat of the moment, they will brandish a big penalty on the parties involved and then revoke it after the dispute is settled. Something similar happened with Ricky Stenhouse Sr., who was involved in a post-race brawl with Kyle Busch at the North Wilkesboro Speedway.

For those who might have lost track of events. Kyle Busch intentionally wrecked Ricky Stenhouse Jr. on lap number 2 of the All-Star race. However, the JTG Daugherty Racing driver wasn’t going to let the treatment on the racetrack slide and punched Rowdy in the face post-race. Several crew members from both sides got involved, and Stenhouse Sr. was trying to get a piece of the RCR star driver during the scuffle.

In the aftermath of this fight, NASCAR dropped the hammer on Ricky Stenhouse Jr. with a hefty $75,000 fine. Meanwhile, his father was suspended from entering the racetrack indefinitely. There was no mention of how long the suspension would last for Stenhouse Senior. However, an update shared by Bob Pockrass states that his suspension has been revoked.

“Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s dad, who was suspended from NASCAR following the Kyle Busch fight at the all-star race in May, has been reinstated (which means he can be in the garage/pits during race weekends).” Bob Pockrass shared this on X. This news wasn’t received well by the NASCAR fans, who were left stunned by NASCAR’s decision. Some even threatened to boycott watching the races if Stenhouse Sr. was allowed back in the garage area.

Fans react to Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s dad being reinstated for upcoming races

We have seen a fair few incidents of drivers getting into fights; it’s nothing new. However, the involvement of a family member is indeed a concern. The quarrel was between the two drivers, and they could’ve settled it on their terms. Stenhouse’s father had no business trying to land punches at Kyle Busch. Unable to quantify NASCAR’s decision to allow the Stenhouse Sr. back at the races, this fan wrote, “Might as well rename it THUGCAR now smh won’t be watching anymore.”

Although NASCAR doesn’t encourage fights, they were the ones who used it as promotional content for the next events. While it might have brought them clicks and views, a fan feared this treatment could prove detrimental to the sport’s overall brand image. “This is exactly why viewership is decreasing. He needs to be banned for life.”

A fan even brought up Cody Ware’s case, where he was barred from NASCAR racing after he was arrested for assault on his girlfriend. However, after the charges against him were dropped, he was allowed to race again. “Why does @NASCAR always do this ? They suspend someone and months down the road reinstate them even though they started it ? Same thing in the past with Cody Ware , Alvin Kamara etc.”

Meanwhile, a few others felt that this news wasn’t that big of a deal considering that NASCAR has let many drivers off the hook for more egregious incidents. A fan shared the example of Kyle Busch, who caused a huge ruckus during the 2011 Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway. He intentionally took out Ray Hornaday and was banned by NASCAR to run the Cup race that week, along with a $50,000 fine. “People acting like he should be banned for life. With that logic Busch should still be suspension for the Hornaday deal. 🤣🤣.”

Another fan also welcomed this move, provided that Stenhouse Sr. would carry himself in an orderly manner without causing more problems. “Welcome back! Keep your hands in your pocket.” On the other hand, some lost track of events and timeliness, thinking that he already got the clean chit from NASCAR. “bro what i thought he got reinstated back at like michigan or richmond.”

Does NASCAR need a strict policy in place to deal with these issues? And if yes, how should NASCAR go about it?