NASCAR’s Marcos Ambrose and Casey Mears are both facing fines and probation for an altercation following Saturday’s race. Ambrose’s car owner, Richard Petty, is furious.
After their race on Saturday, April 26, NASCAR drivers Marcos Ambrose and Casey Mears got into a scuffle in the garage at Richmond International Speedway. After arguing a few minutes Ambrose walked away. Mears chased him down and grabbed his arm, prompting Ambrose to punch him in the eye.
Mears described the incident himself, telling NASCAR’s website (via Sporting News):
“Some things happened out on the track that we weren’t real happy with, I guess both of us weren’t right? We were talking and it turned into not talking at the end… My eye is ok. He got me good, though...Things happen. He got me pretty good with that shot. Everybody gets mad after those races when everybody is trying so hard. It’s a passionate sport, obviously. It’s tough when you first get out of the car, when you don’t have a good chance to cool off, it escalates pretty quick.”
Mears, who seems to have instigated the incident, is being fined $15,000 and is on probation until May 28, according to Nascar.com. Ambrose, however, is being fined $25,000 for landing a good punch, and is also on probation until May 28.
Ambrose said he won’t apologize, but he understands that the league had to respond (via Examiner):
“I don’t apologize for my actions. I was just standing up for myself and my team and my family and letting people know that you can’t get in my private space like that and expect to not have any consequences...I got myself in a bad situation, didn’t I?... I caused an action that NASCAR needed to reprimand, so I’m happy to pay it, and I’m happy to move on...It’s a heavy fine. It’s the biggest fine I’ve ever received in racing. I think that NASCAR needed to do something.”
Meanwhile Richard Petty, who owns Ambrose’s car, is furious (via Star Tribune):
“No way he should have been fined. What I seen on the TV was that he was trying to get away. The boy kept pushing and shoving and he was trying to get away and finally got cornered and had to come out of that. Is NASCAR saying, ‘OK, just lay there and get the tar beat out of you, we won’t fine you, we’ll fine the other guy?’ I don’t know what their rationale was.”
What do you think? Should Marcos Ambrose be fined for defending himself?
Let us know in the comments below.
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