With plenty of hype surrounding NASCAR's return to North Wilkesboro Speedway, many thought the short track would provide plenty of fireworks among the drivers. That didn't play out so much, as Kyle Larson dominated the historic event without much difficulty. But, that didn't stop the fans from providing their own excitement in the form of a wild brawl in the grandstands.
A video recorded and uploaded by Travis "Moonhead" Brown, who is a local racer himself at Hickory Motor Speedway, shows a couple of unhappy fans who escalated their verbal disagreement into a physical confrontation.
BEEF IN THE STANDS (white shirt dude is now on his way to the slammer) pic.twitter.com/cJAlf3BCGy
— Moonhead (@itsmoonhead) May 22, 2023
The fight broke out in the middle of a green flag run during the All-Star Race. It's crazy to think that this could happen in the middle of a Cup race. I thought this was North Wilkesboro, not the Madhouse at Bowman-Gray Stadium.
The two combatants (one seen in the video wearing a white shirt and the other wearing a gray shirt) got a number of punches in before police officers were able to break the two men apart.
According to the Wilkes County Sheriff's Office, the man wearing a white shirt was identified as Britton Settle, 26, of Elkin, North Carolina. Police said Settle was the aggressor in the incident, and he was removed from the stands and ejected from the track. No charges were filed by the other man.
During last night's #NASCAR All-Star Race, two fans got into a fistfight in the stands.
Britton Settle, 26, was found to be the aggressor and was removed from the track by police.
However, according to the Wilkes County Sheriff's Department, Settle was later arrested for?
— Toby Christie (@Toby_Christie) May 22, 2023
The story for Settle didn't end with his ejection, however.
He apparently was hellbent on seeing the conclusion of the first NASCAR Cup event at North Wilkesboro Speedway in 27 years, and authorities said he found his way back into the facility. He reportedly was promptly arrested on charges of second-degree trespassing and disorderly conduct.
It has been a crazy few weeks for NASCAR, with drivers getting angry at each other and now fans getting in on the action. At least the great NASCAR fans of Wilkesboro did not disappoint.
