WATCH: Different view of scrap | Contact that started scuffle
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. -- There was no mistaking Regan Smith's purposeful stride down pit road or the look in his eyes following Saturday's Zippo 200 at the Glen XFINITY Series race.
Sure that he had been manhandled on the famous road course, Smith, 31, stopped at competitor Ty Dillon's car, leaned in and grabbed Dillon, 23, by the front of his uniform, confronting him about an incident between the two in Turn 1 on a Lap 40 restart.
The two championship contenders pushed and shoved and shouted angrily at each other, promising retaliation down the road before NASCAR officials and various team members stepped in to separate them. Both Dillon's father, Mike, and his grandfather and team owner, Richard Childress, came to the scene.
Smith eventually was pulled away and made his way back to the garage area still fuming. Because of their championship points position, Smith's JR Motorsports hauler was parked only two spots away from Dillon's Richard Childress Racing hauler. Dillon's older brother, Sprint Cup Series driver Austin, stood outside while his brother went into change out of his race uniform.
"I got dumped in Turn 1, it's pretty simple and I'm not the only one he dumped today," Smith said of Ty Dillon. "I may have lost the championship today, but he sure as hell did, too," Smith told reporters walking away from pit road after the race. "There's zero chance the 3 car (Dillon) wins the championship. And I'm going to make sure of it."
Both Smith, a former Sprint Cup Series race winner, and Dillon, in his second year in the XFINITY Series, had other run-ins during the race -- with their teammates. Smith was hit by fellow JRM driver Chase Elliott early in the race. And Dillon spun out RCR teammate Paul Menard.
"I wanna say, first, I'm sorry to my RCR teammates and the 7 guys (Smith's team) for my mistakes, I'm truly embarrassed, I deserve anything said," Dillon said on Twitter after the race. "I will not take anyone pushing me around after a race; that takes it to another level. All that said, another top 5 -- gotta keep up the finishes."
See Ty's tweets: Dillon tweets after brawl with Smith
The damage from Smith's incidents relegated him to a 20th place finish, while Dillon finished fifth.
Dillon explained the accident with Smith and assumed the blame.
"I got a good run, cut to the inside; it's the first time I've done that here at this race track," Dillon said. "I've seen people ... do it. I just didn't complete it. It's as simple as that. I made a big mistake, got to wheel-hopping and there's no saving it. I did it two times in a row; I'm very disappointed in myself for doing that.
"Not only did I tear up everyone else's car, but I tore up mine as well. Very apologetic about that, but not about after the race."
Told that Dillon had been remorseful about hitting Smith, the veteran responded, "Of course he was, he came out of all of them [accidents] unscathed."
MORE: NXS drivers points standings
The eventful day was costly in the standings for Smith. Dillon is now tied with Elliott in second place, 24 points behind leader Chris Buescher. Smith remains in fourth place but now trails Buescher by 57 points after being only 39 behind before the race.
Smith trailed third-place Dillon by 18 points entering the weekend and is now 33 points behind his rival headed to next week's road course event at Mid-Ohio -- the second of three road course races in August for the XFINITY Series.