The highest penalty in NASCAR’s fight history ever at $75,000! That’s what Ricky Stenhouse Jr just go hit with (no pun intended) after he punched Kyle Busch, according to penalty tracker Seth Eggert. On top of that, his father also received an indefinite suspension, while mechanic Clint Myrick and engine tuner Keith Matthews got slapped with eight and four-race suspensions, respectively. But let’s be honest, that scuffle was probably the most exciting thing in the entire race, and it’s still making headlines four days later. Even NASCAR’s social media is buzzing, raking in tons of reactions. It looks like even NASCAR got a boost from the drama. So, why then the massive penalty for Stenhouse? What can be done? Dale Earnhardt Jr suggests one option—appeal the penalty.

Dale Earnhardt Jr has thrown his support behind Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Elton Sawyer, NASCAR’s Senior VP of Competition, commented on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, as reported by NASCAR.com, “I think it’s fair to say that when you have crew members and family members that put their hands on our drivers, we’re going to react.”

Meanwhile, Ricky Stenhouse Jr mentioned on SiriusXM NASCAR that he hasn’t yet decided whether to appeal his hefty fine for the brawl. Despite the chaos of post-race fistfights and crew altercations spurred by on-track actions, Stenhouse Jr faced the stiffest penalty. In light of this, Dale Earnhardt Jr has voiced a clear opinion: “I think he should appeal. Yes! I do.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr also noted that there have been similar incidents in the past that didn’t lead to such severe consequences. That’s why he’s even ready to stand by Stenhouse during his appeal. Dale Jr mentioned, “And I think there’s enough history to say, look, I would go in there and I would even walk in there with him if he wanted me to. I’d say, ‘Listen, here are some other examples of the same kind of actions, and here’s what the repercussions were for those, right?'”

Given the amount of publicity NASCAR received from the incident, Dale Jr suggested that maybe they should consider reducing the fine to something more in the range of $25,000 or $50,000. Daniel Suarez also chimed in quickly on social media about the penalties, asking, “If it’s so wrong then why is it all over NASCAR social channels? We should be allowed to show our emotions, I don’t get it….” He pointed out the irony of NASCAR benefiting from the publicity while still imposing hefty fines on one of the drivers involved.

There have been past instances where drivers were penalized for fights, but never to this extent. Those cases might provide valuable precedent to help NASCAR make a more informed decision. For example, in March 2023, NASCAR penalized five Cup Series teams—including all four Hendrick Motorsports cars and one from Kaulig Racing—for unapproved modifications to a single-source part, specifically the hood louvers. However, when the teams appealed, a three-member panel dialed back the severe penalties initially imposed by NASCAR, reducing the 100 driver points, 100 owner points, and 10 playoff points to just 100 owner points and 10 playoff points.

Previously, the largest fine for a fight was $50,000, handed to the well-known fiery driver Tony Stewart for an altercation with Brian Vickers at Sonoma in 2004. But, now, Ricky Stenhouse Jr holds the record for the heftiest fine.

It’s worth noting there could be significant repercussions from the appeal. According to Dale Earnhardt Jr, if Ricky Stenhouse Jr successfully gets his penalty reduced, it might actually stir up more trouble for him. There could be serious fallout from appealing the penalties. 

Dale Jr outlined some potential consequences of #47 appealing the penalties

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While past cases could provide strong support for reducing the fine, potentially even by more than half, there’s a risk that this could aggravate NASCAR. They might take it personally and keep a closer eye on Stenhouse moving forward.

Dale Jr explained, “If you win you kind of put a Target on your back how so well if you go and and NASCAR hand you a penalty. And you go to the appeals penalty and you win the appeal NASCAR will not be real happy about that. Because they’re the the governing body they feel like the decision they ultimately made initially was the right one and so they, you know..I don’t know that they would love. I wouldn’t love it if I penalized somebody and they told you, ‘Oh no, that was wrong decision to make’.”

For now, even Dale Earnhardt Jr is on the edge of his seat waiting for the Charlotte race. He’s curious to see if Ricky Stenhouse Jr will stick to his promise of not wrecking Kyle Busch, and how the #8 might respond if he does.