A last lap bump-and-run spilled over into an intense infield confrontation on Monday night following the Redbud 400 at Anderson Speedway in Indiana.
Stephen Nasse and Josh Brock used the bumper on each other several over the final two laps, while racing for second-place, with Nasse delivering the final shot that sent Brock into the Turn 4 outside retaining wall on the final lap.
Nasse was immediately sent to the rear of the running order by CRA officials after the checkered flag waved, but the crew of the No. 17 Brock team wanted their own brand of justice.
The crew immediately surrounded Nasse’s driver side door once he parked it at his pit stall. Nasse simply exited on the passenger-side door and was met by his own crew. That’s when two members of the Brock crew threatened to meet him outside the track and kill his family respectively.
For his part, Nasse deflected the violent threats but antagonized one of the crew members, saying “you’re not even looking at me. I’m over here you crackhead” while also gleefully teasing that he didn’t realize that Brock was racing for a championship on Monday night.
Brock and his crew were so frustrated because they had come back from a Lap 120 crash with Greg Van Alst, in which they lost two laps and were still somehow able to get back to second.
“We just kept on digging, got back on the lead lap, put new tires on it and went after it,” Brock said. “We absolutely fought our hearts out to get up there. Most of that was rubbing. Two to go in the Redbud 400, and what he did down there (in Turn 4) was one of the most uncalled for things I’ve seen in racing.
“But that’s okay. If he wants to do it this way, we’ll tear up cars in practice. My crew fought their hearts out to get us back on the track and I gave it everything to get back to second — to get us to second. We should have finished there.”
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Nasse admitted what happened on the track was his fault, and was going to apologize until a crew member threatened his family.
“Brock moved me up the track … came back up in front of me, let off earlier than I anticipated and spun him out,” Nasse said. “Definitely my fault there at the end. I didn’t realize they were running for a championship here.
“Last lap of the 400 and he just ran me up in Turn 2 for position. So I wanted to return the favor in Turn 4 and drove it in too deep.”
Did Nasse expect to be berated upon climbing out of the car?
“Yeah, man, that’s whatever,” Nasse said. “You know they’re going to be mad. There’s always going to be another race.”
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