In honor of Olympic Boxing, here’s a look at the top 10 fights in NASCAR history

While NASCAR takes its little Olympics break, in honor of my favorite Summer Games sport, boxing (don’t tell me this will be its last appearance in the Games!), let’s take a look at NASCAR’s greatest fights (or at least some of them).

We all of course rermember Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Kyle Busch squaring off last May at North Wilkesboro.

Stenhouse Jr.’s hopes of winning his first All-Star Race and the $1 million check ended on Lap 2 at after the No. 47 Chevrolet driver ended on the receiving end of contact with Kyle Busch – the night didn’t end there between the two.

On track, Stenhouse made a threewide pass between Denny Hamlin and Busch after the race start. Busch quickly retaliated by making contact with the No. 47 Chevrolet and putting him in the wall.

Stenhouse was forced to pit road with right-front damage and parked his car in the No. 8’s pit box. He then exited his car and climbed to the top of the pit box to exchange words with crew chief Randall Burnett and Andy Petree, vice president of competition at Richard Childress Racing.

Post-race, Stenhouse confronted Busch in the garage area, engaged him in a heated discussion and eventually punched him over the on-track incident, with NASCAR security and and crew members moving in to separate the drivers.

The Stenhouse-Busch bash wasn’t the first time there was an on-track argument during a NASCAR race. In fact, there’s a storied history of intense rivalries and dramatic altercations.

So now, let’s get ready to ruuumble, with some of the greatest fights in NASCAR history: 1. 1979 Daytona 500: Cale Yarborough vs. Donnie Allison: One of the most famous fights in NASCAR history started on the final lap of the Daytona 500 when Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison collided. That led to a brawl in the infield that also involved Bobby Allison. The fight was televised live, bringing significant attention to NASCAR.

2. 1984 Daytona 500: Richard Petty vs. Cale Yarborough: Tensions between these two legends boiled over during the race, leading to a heated exchange. Though not as physical as some other altercations, the rivalry between Petty and Yarborough was intense and memorable.

3. 1989 The Winston: Rusty Wallace vs. Darrell Waltrip: After a controversial finish where Rusty Wallace spun Darrell Waltrip out of the lead, Waltrip’s crew confronted Wallace in the pits. The altercation underscored the fierce competition between the two drivers.

4. 1993 North Wilkesboro: Dale Earnhardt vs. Terry Labonte: Dale Earnhardt and Terry Labonte clashed multiple times, but one of the most memorable was at North Wilkesboro, where their aggressive driving led to heated post-race exchanges.

5. 2000 Bristol Night Race: Dale Earnhardt vs. Terry Labonte: Another clash between Earnhardt and Labonte, this time at Bristol. Earnhardt spun Labonte out of the lead on the final lap, leading to boos from the crowd and heated comments from Labonte.

6. 2003 Daytona 500: Ward Burton vs. Robby Gordon: After a multi-car wreck, Ward Burton and Robby Gordon had a heated exchange on the track, with Burton throwing his helmet at Gordon’s car. The incident highlighted the high stakes and emotions of Daytona.

7. 2008 Richmond: Kyle Busch vs. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Kyle Busch spun Dale Earnhardt Jr. while battling for the lead late in the race, sparking a heated rivalry between the two fan favorites.

8. 2014 Texas: Brad Keselowski vs. Jeff Gordon: After a late-race incident at Texas Motor Speedway, Jeff Gordon confronted Brad Keselowski on pit road, leading to a melee involving crew members and both drivers.

9. 2015 Charlotte: Matt Kenseth vs. Joey Logano: Joey Logano and Matt Kenseth’s rivalry peaked when Kenseth intentionally wrecked Logano at Martinsville as payback for previous incidents, resulting in a dramatic on-track altercation and significant penalties for Kenseth.

10. 2017 Las Vegas: Kyle Busch vs. Joey Logano: Following a last-lap incident at Las Vegas, Kyle Busch confronted Joey Logano on pit road, throwing punches and sparking a brawl between their teams.