The North Wilkesboro drama has turned a new corner with fresh updates regarding the Kyle Busch and Ricky Stenhouse Jr beef. The JTG Racing driver, after landing a solid right hook to Busch’s face in the post-race altercation, was fined $75,000 by NASCAR officials, along with the suspension of a couple of his crew members. However, Richard Childress wasn’t going to let this treatment of his star driver slide away that easily.

“I’m kind of old for fighting, but I’ll have a different style of fighting, and I’ll whip his a**,” he said. We all know how menacing the RCR team was once under the leadership of Dale Earnhardt, and not to forget, Richard always had his driver’s back against unnecessary aggression or altercation. So, it’s no wonder that the warning by Richard Childress got Stenhouse Jr. sweating. However, despite the tough guy talk during the recent episode of the Stacking Pennies podcast, it seems like Ricky has now waved the white flag.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is looking to settle his differences with Kyle Busch

According to SiriusXM host Danielle Trotta, the driver of the No. 47 car is not looking to appeal the fine imposed by NASCAR. However, his team, JTG Racing, is considering appealing against the suspension of the crew member. Moreover, he also mentioned speaking with Richard Childress to end his beef with the No. 8 team and Kyle Busch. Surprisingly, Richard told him to deal with Busch on his terms, and not wreck his race cars intentionally. This could be a possibility because Rowdy’s actions were blatant, and therefore, a payback could have been on the cards for the 2023 Daytona 500 winner.

According to Stenhouse Jr., he had no grudges against Busch after the brawl that ensued at North Wilkesboro. Rowdy lost his cool and temper on the racetrack and wrecked the No. 47 car, and in response, Stenhouse Jr. landed a sweet right punch to the face of the star RCR driver. So, technically, the score should be settled, but given Busch’s history, it’s unlikely to see him just shake hands and make a truce.

In all fairness, neither of the two drivers has managed to get the desired results they were looking for since the start of the season. Which ultimately came to a boil during the All-Star, resulting in good old Fender bending on the racetrack and concluding with a fistfight.

Where do the two drivers stand after the 13 Cup Series starts in 2024?

It’s fair to say that Kyle Busch and his struggles with the Next Gen car have continued in 2024. Comparing his run of 13 races in the debut RCR season, he had already bagged two wins and secured his place in the playoffs. But in 2024, he is just looking like a shadow of his former self, unable to produce the goods in the No. 8 RCR car. Busch currently sits in the 13th spot and is just three places from dropping out of the playoffs race.

A P3 finish at Atlanta and finishing 4th at Dover are his only noteworthy results so far. For a driver who is considered to be in his prime and contending for championships, these numbers are bleak. Kyle Busch expressed his frustration against the team for the inconsistent runs in his race. Highlighting the two good runs at Dover and Kansas, followed by a disappointing result at Darlington, Rowdy said, “So you can’t be feast or famine, you’ve got to be consistent, and there are guys out there being consistent.”

Meanwhile, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. himself is feeling the pressure after dismal showings throughout the 2024 campaign. He has only been able to churn out two top-10 results, which came in Atlanta and Talladega. Last year, his Daytona 500 win was enough to secure him an entry into the last 16, but this year his playoffs run is under serious doubt.

Stenhouse Jr. is well off the point tally and finds himself in 27th place in the standings. So, unless he finds a surprise win in the remaining 13 races, it’s hard to see him make the cut. Do you think it’s about time the two drivers get their act together and start delivering the results on the race track? Share your views in the comments below.