“We’re Not a Boxing Match”- Dirt Track Owner Openly Defies NASCAR Veteran’s Desire for On-Track ‘Gladiator’ Fights

Going at over 150 miles an hour, one small mishap has the power to end your race. However, nothing is more frustrating for a driver than getting hit out of the race by someone else. Such instances are part of the game, but sometimes drivers take it personally, which is not a pretty sight.

Kyle Busch rather infamously went into Joey Logano’s pit lane after an incident on the track and came out with a bleeding face in 2017. More recently, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. got into it with Busch at the All-Star race in 2024 as punches were thrown, and Stenhouse Jr. was fined $75000 by NASCAR. Former NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace gave his thoughts on fights in local racing and why it is so prevalent.

Springfield Raceway owner is ruthless towards drivers’ instigating fights

Going into another driver’s pit lane after a race is the easiest way to get into trouble. The adrenaline is high, emotions are high and things tend to get messy. Kenny Wallace spoke to Springfield Raceway owner Jerry Hoffman on the Kenny Wallace YouTube channel, and they shared their thoughts on fighting in racing.

Jerry Hoffman shared his stance on how he deals with drivers who cause trouble and one anecdote from his days as a driver, saying, “There’s a place for it. We’re not a boxing match… It goes back to when I raced. I had trouble with a guy. I took caution tape, that yellow crime scene tape, and I put it around my pits so they knew where my territory was.

“I always felt like don’t go to anybody’s pits. Sun’s gonna come up tomorrow, it’s competition, you’re running hard, they’re running hard. Some guys’ cars aren’t as good as others… They don’t mean to hit somebody. If you go to somebody’s pits at my place and a fight breaks out, you’re gonna be the one thrown out. One boy blacked both of his eyes… I said ‘ Hey, you’re the one who went down there, you should have never went down there‘.”

NASCAR is unique in its way of causing anger to boil over. In other sports, you have the opportunity to sort it out on the field of play during the match, which usually leads to penalties or on-field suspensions. In motorsports, all the action happens post-race, which means no penalties for the race, but future suspensions could definitely be in place. Jerry Hoffman feels such drivers should be thrown out for disrupting a family-friendly environment. “I don’t want to see nothing like that happen. It’s a family-oriented place. We got a lot of kids there, mom and dads there, grandma grandpas there, let’s have fun,” said Hoffman

Although Hoffman and Wallace extensively discussed fights in the NASCAR pit lane, the duo knows something about spreading love and kindness. Back in September, they came together to help Missouri racer Brennon Willard when he looked for a kidney donor for his mother. Wallace and Hoffman were amongst many from the NASCAR community who amplified the call for help, bringing forward 16 potential donors, although it was Willard who later donated a kidney for his mother. Wallace and Hoffman’s efforts were a reminder of the positive change the sport can bring.

And while NASCAR has seen its fair share of fights, they have come with repercussions. The fines put in place for such fights have reduced the frequency, but sometimes drivers lose their cool. Well, one thing is for sure, NASCAR knows a thing or two about fisticuffs.

NASCAR is no stranger to drivers going berserk after a race

When you think about NASCAR drivers fighting, the first name that comes up is Kyle Busch. The No. 8 of Richard Childress Racing has had his fair share of nasty moments. As his brother Kurt Busch was celebrating his win in the fabled night race, an unknown fan who was angry with “Rowdy” for spinning Martin Truex Jr. into the wall began heckling the driver. Never before has NASCAR seen a fan’s heckling escalate to the point of a physical altercation as it did when the enraged fan then confronted Busch. The unknown assailant managed to get in a hard shove before race authorities stepped in and broke up the fight.

Getting hit in the race can ruin your entire mood and that is exactly what happened with Jeff Gordon and Brad Keselowski in 2014. However, more than just moods were ruined that day. In the closing laps of the AAA Texas 500, Jeff Gordon and Brad Keselowski crossed paths on the track, cutting Gordon’s right rear tire and putting him out of contention. Gordon then went to confront Keselowski on pit road.

Keselowski tried to walk away before Kevin Harvick pushed him back towards Gordon. From there it was on. Gordon’s pit crew and Keselowski’s pit crew got in each other faces between the cars and the pit wall. The wreck ultimately cost Gordon a spot in the 2014 Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami. Would Gordon have won his fifth championship had this not happened? Let us know what you think in the comments below!