It’s not quite unusual to see crew members fight with each other in NASCAR. And, we do not look very far for an example. In the 2024 NASCAR All-Star Race, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Kyle Busch got into a fight, with crew members from both teams becoming involved in the physical altercation. And something very similar happened quite recently. The Second Annual Kenny Meadows Limited Sportsman Memorial Feature Race took place on April 12th. An iconic 0.4-mile oval track witnessed an intense 75-lap race featuring five caution periods. Some of those instances led to a massive brawl post-race, with tempers all over the place.

The track, South Boston Speedway, has a rich and storied history in NASCAR. Being part of Late Model Stock Car Division racing in the sport’s regional series, the racetrack is a happening place. From Phillip Morris’s 76-win record to the track’s 68-year-old history, SoBo boasts of many things. Currently, it boasts an intense beef that unfolds on the pit road, which is more than a fistfight!

NASCAR’s regional crew people take up arms

Well, literally – as much as we hate to admit it. South Boston Speedway’s race last weekend witnessed a fabulous performance by Nathan Crews. The Long Island, Virginia resident pulled away from a challenging 18-car field during the final 51 laps. He ultimately drove to a 3.245-second win over Cory Dunn of Salem, Virginia, who was the runner-up in last year’s race. But while Crews was executing his flawless performance, he had to dodge a few mishaps on the track. Jason Pittman of Chester and Zach Peregoy of Clarksville locked horns during the NASCAR regional race. Footage of the race showed Pittman’s red No. 51 car colliding with the black No. 12 car of Peregoy many times.

During the initial part of the race, Peregoy’s car turned around Pittman’s. Soon after, during the caution period, Pittman responded by nudging into the No. 12. However, the No. 51 driver was not satisfied. When Nathan Crews was executing the final lap, soaring towards Victory Lane, Pittman took his revenge. He bumped and turned around Peregoy’s car in a smoking wreck. Clearly, both teams were unhappy. FloRacing recorded a wild brawl that broke out on pit road. What sent chills down NASCAR fans’ necks was that the drivers and crew people alike were grabbing wrenches and other equipment, as if to use them if a fight started.

FloRacing’s broadcasters reported on this chaotic fallout. “People are definitely frustrated on pit road. The 51 is extremely frustrated. Cameraman Dan Davis catching all the action.” The video showcased people pushing and shoving each other, with muffled screams and loud curse words elevating the chilling aspect of the incident. Track officials were trying their best to disengage the angry teams.

Despite the wild fallout, the race winner was just glad to get away from the chaos to grab the win. Nathan Crews said post-race, “I was very surprised because throughout the day, I didn’t think we were the best car. I knew we were pretty good, maybe top three. I thought I was going to have to man up on the wheel, and that’s what I did from lap one. I gave it 110 percent.” While Crews beat Cory Dunn for first place, his other competitors were close behind. They included Karl Budzevski, Lane Woods, and Drew Dawson among the top five finishers.

Although the race ended on a chaotic note for the race organizers, let us remember what its true objective was. The race honored the late Kenny Meadows, a lifelong racing enthusiast. The NASCAR veteran passed away on December 7, 2021, at age 56, due to COVID-19. Meadows was a crew chief for his son, Calvin Meadows. His racing efforts across 14 years helped many other teams throughout the years as well. Nathan Crews won the race for the second time and believed that this one was a bit special.

“I didn’t think it could get any better than it did last year, but I believe this year it’s a little bit better. I thought last year it was the biggest race I’ve ever won, and I believe this year puts the icing on the cake. I’m very thankful to have the car and the ability to win this race.”

Overall, Boston Motor Speedway saw shades of both shining glory and flaring rage last weekend. Hopefully, wielding batons or other arms will not become a trend for upcoming Late Model races.