Teams fist fight after Heat 2 wreck boils over to the pits at Martinsville 300

Late Model racing is getting heated at Martinsville during the heats for the Martinsville 300. Chad Bryant Racing and Magnum Tate Racing went at it. With all that is on the line for the heat races, and the big main event race, emotions were running high. While NASCAR is in Texas, there is a lot going on at the Paperclip.

Everything boiled over in Heat 2. Connor Hall of CBR was spun around by the 97 after a late block on the restart. Magnum Tate took it upon himself to turn right, hard into Hall.

Check out the wreck.

Chaos during #VSCU300 qualifying race No. 2 at @MartinsvilleSwy as 2023 #NAAPWS National Champion @connorhallweb gets collected! pic.twitter.com/nxkczTFoYQ

— NASCAR Roots (@NASCARRoots) September 24, 2023

This ended with both cars out of the heat race and no chance of making the finale. The Martinsville 300 is a major event for Late Model racing. The two teams were in an all-out bawl once the drivers got back to the pit area.

This one got very intense as bodies went to the ground and fell into cars.

🚨 On-track emotions boil over in the pits!@NASCARRoots | @MartinsvilleSwy

📺 https://t.co/OcYb0sRfsC pic.twitter.com/H7ivq6lQvl

— FloRacing (@FloRacing) September 24, 2023

Grassroots racing gets intense. It was clear that Tate overstepped by retaliating as he did. He can say that he had damage, but that was a full turn to the right and then he was fine going to the pits.

Someone got the on-the-ground angle here and was in the thick of it as the brawl ensued.

HOT TEMPERS at @MartinsvilleSwy after qualifying race No. 2 for the #VSCU300! pic.twitter.com/ssVcLq0HuW

— NASCAR Roots (@NASCARRoots) September 24, 2023

The Martinsville 300 is off to a hot start as the heat races continue. Keep up with Matt Weaver and Short Track Scene for all you need to know.

Martinsville 300 gets intense on and off the track

Now, there are fights almost every year that the Martinsville 300 comes around. When you have more than 80 cars fighting for 40 spots in the main event, then you get moments like this. Hall threw a late block, that’s not great when you’re slow on the restart.

However, Tate decided to take it upon himself to take both cars out of the race, and then some. We’ve seen drivers in other series, from ARCA to the Truck Series, and even Chase Elliott at Charlotte, right rear hook and left rear hook cars. It isn’t okay, no matter what track or car or speed.

I would be lying if I said it doesn’t endear this race to me a little more. This is grassroots racing, with hundreds of people from all over coming to this event at a chance for glory. Some of them make their living racing, others do it as a side hustle, and then there are those who just do it for fun.

We’re going to have more heated moments before the Martinsville 300 is over. I’m not sure we will see a bigger fight than that, though.