Nemechek-Crafton incident sparks tempers in garage after Trucks’ Bristol dirt race

By
Chase Wilhelm NASCAR.com March 29, 2021 at 3:41 PMAn incident with John Hunter Nemechek and Matt Crafton led to a scuffle in the garage after the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on the Bristol Motor Speedway dirt.

Nemechek went for a spin early in Stage 2 after Crafton ran into the back of his truck. While stopped in the top lane, Nemechek was then hit again, this time by the No. 19 truck of Derek Kraus. Both the Crafton and Nemechek teams were chippy on the radio after the incident.

After climbing out of the No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota, Nemechek gave Crafton a sarcastic round of applause as Crafton drove by under caution.

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Then, No. 88 crew chief Carl “Junior” Joiner had this to say over the radio shortly after the incident: “Better keep the crew chief (of Nemechek) under (expletive) order before I punch him in his (expletive) throat. Don’t you ever (expletive) stare at me like that.”

Nemechek was later released from the infield care center where he took shots at the teams of Crafton and Kraus.

“I don’t know. Matt (Crafton) just flat ran over me,” Nemechek told FS1. “That one will be in the memory bank. We were fine. Didn’t hit anything and then there toward the end of that whole deal, the 19 (Kraus) … I guess he and his spotter both need a pair of glasses. I’ll have those for him at Richmond (Raceway).”

Kraus’ spotter, Freddie Kraft, tweeted this in response after the No. 19 truck was forced to retire due to damage.
"Tell that turkey that I prefer Maui Jim's".