Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: I'm not gonna crash Kyle Busch at Charlotte

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. sent a stern warning to Kyle Busch following their scuffle at North Wilkesboro Speedway this past Sunday.

Stenhouse, being held back from Busch after their NASCAR All-Star Race brawl, told the two-time Cup Series champion “I’ll wreck you at Charlotte.” Busch responded to the comment, “Bring it. I don’t give a f***. I suck just as bad as you. Let’s go.”

Stenhouse has since gone back on that statement, telling Corey LaJoie on his “Stacking Pennies” podcast Monday that he will not wreck Busch during this Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600.

"I'm not gonna crash him at Charlotte." @StenhouseJr reflects on what happened at @NWBSpeedway on the latest Stacking Pennies. pic.twitter.com/z6i5eleff1

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 21, 2024

“I told him I might crash him at Charlotte — I’m not gonna crash him at Charlotte,” Stenhouse said. “Then that just keeps it going, right. So, as far as my end goes, I feel like I’m past it.”

Stenhouse, stuck in the infield of North Wilkesboro with nowhere to go, had the time equivalent to 198 laps to decide how he was gonna handle seeing Busch after the race. Busch put him into the wall just two laps into the 200-lap exhibition, ending Stenhouse’s chances at winning the $1 million prize. Not only did Stenhouse threaten to fight Busch while speaking with the media immediately after the wreck, but he was apparently letting fellow drivers know of his intentions.

Denny Hamlin says Ricky Stenhouse Jr. texted other drivers during the race that he was going to fight Kyle Busch

Speaking on his “Actions Detrimental” podcast, Denny Hamlin, who finished P2 at North Wilkesboro, said that Stenhouse was texting other drivers in their group chat during the race that he was going to make a run at Busch.

“I didn’t realize that when I went back and looked — we have a group text and it’s me and Austin, it’s got JP and Jared, my buddy Greg and it’s got Ricky [Stenhouse] and Kyle Larson on it. He was letting us know while the race was going on [that] he’s gonna go after him [Busch]. So, of course I’m in the race so I don’t see it,” Hamlin said. “But there’s others that are not in the race. So, he’s stuck in the infield on his phone and he’s fuming.”

Stenhouse stayed true to his word, waiting for Busch outside his hauler. Once Busch arrived with a herd of media around him, it was on. The two exchanged words before Stenhouse threw a right hand at Busch, setting off a massive brawl between the two and their respective pit crews.