Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was upset with John Hunter Nemechek and Michael McDowell during the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum on Saturday night.
The defending Daytona 500 champion got into a heated confrontation with Nemechek at the mid-race break. Stenhouse Jr. went over to Nemechek's car and took down his window net and leaned into his car to show his displeasure. This move was not supported by good friend and competitor Denny Hamlin. Hamlin went on his podcast, "Actions Detrimental with Denny Hamlin," and said his actions "crossed a line" and that it did not make Stenhouse Jr. look tough.
Stenhouse talked with Frontstretch about the incident with Nemechek.
"Yeah, just dive-bombing me three wide for no reason on a restart," Stenhouse Jr. said. "So that was it just go and talk to him about that because you know we were both a lap down. He was actually two laps down, I was one lap down and there was just no reason for it. I mean. it's a you know smaller than a quarter mile and playing pinball out there."
After the mid race break, Stenhouse Jr. got into an incident with McDowell. McDowell made an aggressive move on a restart and contact from McDowell sent the No. 47 into Ross Chastain sending the No. 1 car spinning.
Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. vs. Michael McDowell @ the LA Coliseum in 2024.
Bubba Wallace's onboard. pic.twitter.com/uPIbQsyVTk
— Andrew (@Basso488) February 5, 2024
Stenhouse Jr. couldn't understand the point of McDowell being so aggressive that far back in the field.
"The 34 kind of did the same thing, exactly the same thing," Stenhouse Jr. said. "And we talked afterwards and he said that he just really wanted to try and finish you know 15th or 10th and I was like well it doesn't really matter where you finish unless you win this race. I told him I went through you know the exhibition race here you make the race and you just try not to make people mad. And they saw it different than I did. So, I left a little mad but you know it's part of it. I'm over it now."
Stenhouse Jr. will look to start the season off on the right foot heading back to Daytona on Feb. 18, where he will look to defend his Daytona 500 victory from last season.
