NASCAR Xfinity Race At Martinsville Ends In Brawl With Chandler Smith Throwing Punches

The NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Martinsville Speedway concluded with a dramatic post-race altercation. Driver Chandler Smith confronted fellow racer Cole Custer, ending with Smith throwing a punch before team members got involved in the brawl.

The Martinsville Speedway, famous for its short track and tight racing conditions, has long been a venue where driver altercations are not uncommon. Consisting of just 0.526 miles, the track’s design encourages the close-quarters competition that often leads to aggressive moves, as witnessed in the recent clash between Smith and Custer.

The two drivers had several on-track exchanges. At one point, Smith used his bumper to gain position over Custer, leading to a retaliatory move from Custer, who forced Smith up the track during a critical moment in the race.

The post-race altercation occurred once both drivers exited their vehicles, with Chandler Smith, visibly agitated, confronting Custer. The situation quickly escalated as Smith threw a punch, which Custer later described as “so soft” he could “barely tell” if he had been hit.

Chandler Smith and Cole Custer — Chandler Smith, driver of the #81 QuickTie Toyota, (L) and Cole Custer, driver of the #00 Haas Automation Ford, get into an altercation after the NASCAR Xfinity Series National Debt Relief 250 at Martinsville Speedway…

Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

In interviews following the race, Custer downplayed the altercation, stating:

“What comes around goes around in this deal. I’m so proud of this team and we brought out everything we had today. Kept us in the fight, you know. … Just can’t thank Gene Haas, everybody at Haas Automation, Ford Performance. Can’t wait to go to Phoenix now and see what we can do.

“I mean it is what it is. I think at the end of the day, you know, he put us in the wall a few times this year. He kept us from winning a race I feel like at Kansas, and he used the bumper on me, I used the bumper on him. I don’t know how we’re not even. Then he punches me in the face. I can’t even tell if he really punched me in the face it was so soft. But at the end of the day, we’ll go on to Phoenix.”