Martin Truex Jr. took ownership and Kyle Busch said all the right things after their late wreck Sunday ruined the chances for one of them to win the Brickyard 400.
The same can’t be said for their teams.
Adam Stevens, the crew chief for the No. 18 team, went to Truex’s pit box and confronted the No. 78 team after the crash. A verbal altercation ensued, and although Stevens and two members of the No. 78 pit crew were separated before things became physical, video of the encounter was captured and shown Tuesday on FOX Sports’ “NASCAR RaceHub”
Kyle Busch's crew chief Adam Stevens was involved in a heated verbal exchange with the No. 78 team Sunday at @IMS. https://t.co/OgZNUEPr1M
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) July 25, 2017
Busch and Truex were the class of the field at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and played nice for multiple restarts to allow each of them to remain at the front of the pack. But the niceties ended on a Lap 110 restart, during which Truex got loose on the bottom groove and ran up into Busch, leading to a fiery collision that ended both of their days.
The Brickyard 400 has become one of the crown jewels for NASCAR teams, so it’s not surprising Stevens would be so upset about losing his chance to kiss the bricks. Nor is it shocking tensions might be high within in the No. 18 team, which is still winless and facing the prospect of missing the playoffs after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship just two years ago.
