Matt Crafton released a statement Sunday (Oct. 1) on the altercation between him and Nick Sanchez the day prior that saw Sanchez walk away bloodied from a punch to the face.
The incident happened after the Love’s RV Stop 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Talladega Superspeedway, where contact between both drivers resulted in Crafton turning into the field.
“What people don’t take into account is that he all but ‘sucker punched’ me at 200 mph,” he said in his statement on both ‘X’ and Instagram in regard to the on-track contact. “The way he pushed my truck gave me no ability to get out of the situation and he was told multiple times during that race the way he was pushing people was going to cause a wreck and going to get people hurt.
“There is a consistent pattern of certain drivers having a lack of respect on the track and it was time for someone to say something.”
Crafton extensively discussed his feelings about the post-race incident as well.
“Am I proud that it got physical, no, but last time I checked everyone on that track is a grown adult,” the statement said. Crafton also apologized to his team, sponsors and partners.
The full statement on Crafton’s official ‘X’ page, which he broke down into six ‘X’-sized replies, can be viewed here:
NASCAR has not yet made an official statement but told Frontstretch they are currently gathering all information regarding the altercation between the two drivers. After reviewing it, NASCAR will make a ruling later in the week.
