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USA Today via Reuters
Feb 26, 2023; Fontana, California, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Busch (8) celebrates his victory of the Pala Casino 400 at Auto Club Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
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USA Today via Reuters
Feb 26, 2023; Fontana, California, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Busch (8) celebrates his victory of the Pala Casino 400 at Auto Club Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
It’s no secret that Kyle Busch‘s pit crew situation at Richard Childress Racing hasn’t been smooth sailing. With the #8 RCR garage shuffling pit crew members ahead of Bristol and Phoenix, it’s safe to say Rowdy may not have the strongest bond with them just yet. That being said, the #8 crew’s gasman, Justin White, stepped up to reinstill some of Busch’s confidence at a time of crisis.
When Ricky Stenhouse Jr and the JTG Daugherty pit crew blind-sided Kyle Busch at the All-Star Race, White helped the RCR crew hold their own. With the gasman rightfully nicknamed ‘Big Country’ shoving the #47 pit crew into oblivion, the entire motorsports community was left thoroughly impressed. That being said, his sudden rise to fame as the hero of the All-Star Brawl revealed his humility behind the tough exterior.
Kyle Busch’s gasman opens up about his role in the All-Star Brawl
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“Get off this truck!’ were the four words that took the NASCAR community by storm at North Wilkesboro. After tensions were rising between Ricky Stenhouse Jr and Kyle Busch owing to their on-track debacle, Justin White had to tackle JTG Daugherty’s pit crew members of the RCR truck, thus ending the brawl before things got worse. As Kyle Busch and Ricky Stenhouse Jr both exchanged blows, White stole the spotlight with his sheer strength.
In a matter of hours, social media filled with fans inquiring about the ‘Big’ man who had jumped to Busch’s aid. But that’s not all. Justin White’s involvement in the All-Star Brawl made so many waves that some of the biggest names in sports reached out to him. One such man was the iconic sports journalist, Pat McAfee. Speaking of which, the RCR gasman appeared on the Stacking Pennies Podcast for a Bonus Episode.
Kyle Busch and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. fight after the All-Star Race. pic.twitter.com/IJMttBw90W
— Jordan Bianchi (@Jordan_Bianchi) May 20, 2024
Reflecting on all the attention that’s suddenly been thrown his way, White felt the need to highlight how pit crew members just weren’t used to this much time in the spotlight. White shared, “Man, it’s been a wild week, quite a few, and we’re just having fun. I had a lot of people reach out, a lot of people sent messages and memes and tags and posts, and it’s crazy.”
The #8 RCR pit crew member revealed that getting Pat McAfee’s attention was perhaps the biggest highlight. Still, every moment felt like a dream. White stated, “It’s just a little bit overwhelming. You know, for a crew guy to have this kind of spotlight is very wild. It kind of just happened very quickly…(…)…It happened really fast and it was an exciting moment, looking back, crazy to think that it happened that quickly.”
Whilst it’s safe to say that the All-Star brawl was an adrenaline-filled moment for Justin White, the gasman couldn’t help but fear the repercussions of his actions.
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Despite JTG Daugherty’s pit crew suspensions, Justin White gets away scot-free
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After the All-Star Brawl was over and done with, NASCAR decided to set an example for future instances. With the involvement of family members such as Richard Stenhouse in the brawl, the sport gave suspensions to those who played the biggest roles. Apart from Richard Stenhouse receiving an indefinite suspension, two of Stenhouse Jr’s pit crew members were also suspended for four and eight races respectively.
Naturally, this worried Justin White, who had notably played a big role in defending Busch’s side. He shared, “My intention was never to go and, you know, start a fight or be in a fistfight. As a crew guy, our job is to protect our hauler, and our pit stall, and that’s kind of been in racing for years.”
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Justin White’s role was merely to defend the territory that the #8 pit crew was designated to. But with all eyes on ‘Big Country’, a suspension may have come his way. The gasman further stated, “I kept texting my crew chief and my pit coach like, ‘Hey man, do you think I’m gonna be in trouble for this?’ I feel like I did the right thing, and I don’t remember throwing any punches, so I should be good.”
After taking a look at Justin White’s humble approach to the newfound fame, do you think NASCAR needs to step up to ensure pit crews won’t need to take such action?