NASCAR fans were in for a surprise at Gateway Motorsports Park as a full-on fist-fight turned wrestling match broke out between 2 drivers, Jon Wes Townley and Spencer Gallagher. The fight broke out shortly after the second of two crashes between the drivers, which took both trucks out of the race. It is unclear who was “at fault” for the crash but both drivers blamed it on the other. After safely stopped, Townley and Gallagher exited their trucks and began a heated discussion. A few words were exchanged followed by blows and grappling. Officials broke up the scuffle once they reached the infield grass.
In an official statement, NASCAR Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell said that repercussions were likely following the incident. "We've certainly talked to both drivers post-race and got their side of things, so to speak, but we'll have our discussions coming back from the West Coast usually late Tuesday, early Wednesday. We'll kind of have an evaluation and talk to everyone about where we stand on that," said O'Donnell.
O’Donnell went on to say that the incident was less severe since the drivers “expressed their emotions” outside of their vehicles. When drivers “use their race cars beyond what’s normal in a race that’s a huge issue for us” O’Donnell commented. While NASCAR does not encourage what happened, the penalties will be far less severe than if the aggression took place while behind the wheel.
Aggression in competitive sports is nothing new. Hockey is well-known for fighting, probably followed directly by Basketball. Racing fans don’t expect to see a fight break out even though it’s understandable considering the circumstances. What are your thoughts on this? Were the drivers behaving professionally or do they deserve a harsh punishment from NASCAR? Post your comments on the E3 Spark Plugs Facebook Fan Page.
