Dale Earnhardt Jr. calls for Ricky Stenhouse Jr. to appeal NASCAR fine for Kyle Busch fight

Dale Earnhardt Jr. wants Ricky Stenhouse Jr. to take action against NASCAR for being hit with a large fine for his fight with Kyle Busch. On a bonus episode of Dale Jr. Download, Earnhardt said that Stenhouse should appeal his $75,000 fine from NASCAR.

“I think there’s enough history to say look, I would go in there, and I would even walk in there with him if he wanted to me to, and I would say, listen, here are some other examples of this sort of same activity. Here’s the repercussions from those,” Earnhardt said. “…How much publicity this sport has gotten from this moment, and think about dropping it down a notch or two and saying hey, if it gets down to [$50,000) or [$25,000], I think that’s fair and I think that’s what he should go do.”

Earnhardt also said that the crew members who were suspended should take the suspension and “ride this one out.” He said the same thing about Stenhouse’s father, Ricky Stenhouse Sr., who has been suspended indefinitely for his involvement in the fight. But when it comes to the younger Stenhouse, Earnhardt said he should definitely appeal because of how steep the fine is.

“…What else you got to lose,” Earnhardt said. “Why not appeal it? Even if to learn how the appeal process works and what that experience might be like. I’d be curious to do it. …But if you win, you kind of put a target on your back.” Earnhardt added that Stenhouse would have a target on his back because NASCAR believes the initial decision was the right one.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has an issue with NASCAR punishing Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

At the start of the episode, Earnhardt shared his frustration with NASCAR for punishing Stenhouse and not Busch. Yes, Stenhouse started the fight, but he was getting back at Busch for causing him to wreck his car and be eliminated from the race.

“I think [$25,000] would have been a good penalty for Stenhouse,” Earnhardt said. “On the other side, you got Kyle Busch that we know he wrecked him on purpose and he gets nothing. I’m fine with him getting nothing if Ricky’s side was a little more reasonable. For Ricky’s side to be this big mountain of a penalty and Kyle’s to be nothing was a little surprising.

“We’ve seen other guys intentionally wreck and be in trouble. There’s different reasons and variables. Kyle’s intentional wreck was a corner or two later under green flag conditions. He didn’t go wipe him out under caution. But we have seen some people sit out races for right-hooking people at Charlotte with Chase Elliott and so forth. …I was just a little surprised.”