NASCAR pit fight: Two crew members of Richard Childress Racing were arrested on Friday night after they got into a fight in the pit.
The incident took place at ToyotaCare 250 for the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Richmond International Raceway in Richmond, Va.
Michael “Big Mike” Scearce and Thomas Costello, 35, were both charged with assault, reported Fox News. Both crew members were released and a court date is pending in the case.
The Nos. 2 and 30 Chevys contacted each other in the race. Drivers Nelson Piquet Jr. and Brian Scott got into a scuffle, and Piquet kicked Scott in the groin area.
Later, in the track’s driver owner lot, a scuffle ensued and Scearce and Costello were arrested.
“I’m going to have to see if@SparcoOfficial can sew cups into my racesuits to protect my jewels. #nascar,” Scott tweeted.
“A part of me told me that he was going to hit me for 15th place, and then he did,” Scott told NASCAR.com, who wound up 20th.
He added: “I was just showing my displeasure with him after the race and then things escalated. I went to talk to him, I was a little heated and the camera probably shows it, but he kicks me right below the belt, which I think is a below-the-belt type of shot.”
Both drivers were summoned to the series hauler and had a talk with officials.
“We both got angry and it’s one of those things. Both of us think that we’re right and we’re both frustrated, so I mean, it’s racing. We’re racing hard and it happens. I’m sorry,” Piquet said.
NASCAR did not elaborate on whether fines would be handed out.
“We are still gathering all of the facts of what happened and we will address the situation once we have all the information,” it told Fox.
