Carson Hocevar, Ryan Blaney Trade Punches In Wild Bristol Brawl

And this is why I love Bristol, ladies and gentlemen.

Saturday night’s Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway saw Joey Logano take the trophy at the end, but the driver he passed for the victory is the one in the spotlight. (RELATED: It’s Only September, And We Already Have Our Craziest Finish Of The College Football Season)

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Carson Hocevar, a 23-year-old who has gotten on the bad side of veterans courtesy of aggressive driving, found himself in a fist fight with Ryan Blaney in the pits after the two got mixed up in an incident while competing for second place with 41 laps remaining.

After coming in third, Hocevar stopped his car and was greeted by Blaney with a push.

Standing much taller than Blaney, the 6-foot-4 Hocevar then unloaded with not one, but two overhand rights. Blaney’s hat was knocked off by the first punch, while the second blow popped Blaney in the left cheek.

But Blaney didn’t just take it like a pu — umm, kitty cat — he fought back!

WATCH:

This is exactly what NASCAR needs.

For years, the brass in the corner offices has done everything in its power to turn stock car racing into a buttoned-up, boardroom-friendly corporate showcase. Somewhere along the line, the sport forgot that sheet metal and genuine hostility are what built the house in the first place.

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Think Bobby Allison and Cale Yarborough brawling at the 1979 Daytona 500 while millions of Americans watched on live television and realized, “Damn, I can get into this.”

Bristol, in particular, is a pressure cooker designed specifically to blow a gasket, not host a corporate picnic.

If NASCAR wants to keep eyes on the screen, it needs to let these drivers be gladiators with short fuses who love to fight for every inch of real estate. I mean, let’s be honest, that’s what we want to see.

Give us back the glory days, NASCAR, and watch those ratings of yours unbelievably skyrocket.

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