@nascarcasm: NASCAR’s greatest punches for National Punch Day

It’s National Punch Day! And apparently they’re referring to the refreshing beverage, and not like, actual physical assault. We did not know that. Whatever. So here, for your enjoyment, are the greatest actual punches in NASCAR history.

In September of 2015, an angry Kevin Harvick landed this absolute devastating haymaker square on the bosom of Jimmie Johnson. I know, just like me, you’re wondering how Jimmie Johnson survived this one.

When you’re in Las Vegas, you hear “Hit me!” quite a bit … but not like this! That attempt at incorporating gambling terminology was terrible and I apologize. Anyways, this occurred after the race in spring of 2017. Kyle managed one right hook before the fight was broken up. Luckily this fght didn’t affect their long-standing friendship.

While we don’t have actual footage of this punch during 2014’s legendary pit-road battle royale at Texas Motor Speedway, we do have this still image that tells the story. Texas Motor Speedway’s marketing department sent thank-you cards to every participant in this fight – all 843 of them.

I still can’t believe Carl pulled the old “DON’T FLINCH” on Matt Kenseth. This happened at Martinsville in late 2007. Good reflexes by Kenseth though. He’s a peaceful guy and wasn’t going to escalate things any further. He’s not like tha … hold on, Brad Keselowski’s calling.

Our most recent punch occurred this year at Kentucky Speedway. Good effort by Harrison, but he couldn’t land this one. After receiving no response from Lindsey Vonn a couple years ago during the Olympics, Gragson is just well-versed in the art of swinging and missing.

Sticks in the mud will tell you that drivers fighting give the sport a black eye. They don’t. Know what does? MARCOS FREAKING AMBROSE. In 2014at Richmond he clobbered Casey Mears, who laid there unconscious until I think we instituted stage racing.

You all remember this one from the All-Star Race in 2019. This one is complex. Most entries are single punches. However here we’re judging all 200 punches Clint Bowyer threw at Ryan Newman as one single body of work. You don’t see an attack like this unless your drive-in server is really pissed off at the weak tip you left him.

If you’re ever wondering where the old idiom “This fight is gonna have two hits – me hitting you and you hitting the floor my car hitting pit wall … ” came from, it’s from this Harvick/Kyle Busch incident at Richmond in 2011.

The granddaddy of them all. Ths 1979 Daytona 500 scrap between Cale Yarborough and the Allison brothers was a real Donnie-brook, if I might say so myself. Quit rolling your eyes. That was a good joke. If you look close, you can see, as Bobby Allison always claimed, “Cale’s nose hitting my fist.”

1995. Michigan. Either Michael Waltrip was upset at something Lake Speed had done during the race, or this is Michael’s most violent pre-race “Grid Run” of all time.

You probably know this as the “Hold My Watch” incident from 2011. Richard Childress took exception to Kyle’s bump to Joey Coulter following the truck race. You know what allegedly happened after that. They don’t call him “Pop Pop” for nothing. You ain’t gotta win at Martinsville to receive a grandfather clock.