An angry Ricky Stenhouse Jr. confronted Kyle Busch, then punched him following the NASCAR All-Star Race on Sunday night at North Wilkesboro Speedway, setting off a brief fight between teams in the garage.

Stenhouse made an aggressive move on the opening lap of the race and Busch ended up in the wall, which led to Busch intentionally crashing Stenhouse and eliminating him on Lap 2. But North Wilkesboro is an old-school track with no exit tunnel, so Stenhouse had nothing to do but wait for Busch until the race was over.

Sure enough, Stenhouse was standing by Busch’s hauler as the driver of the No. 8 car approached. After a short conversation, Stenhouse swung and set off a fight. Team members then got involved.

Kyle Busch and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. got into an altercation following the NASCAR All-Star Race 😳

🎥 @Jordan_Bianchi pic.twitter.com/86EA503lCw

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) May 20, 2024

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“You hit the fence yourself,” Stenhouse said, according to footage from The Athletic’s Jordan Bianchi. “I didn’t touch you!”

When Busch disputed that, Stenhouse’s eyes widened and he added: “I did not touch you. Not once.”

“We all hit each other,” Busch said.

“No we — you hit the fence and then you hit me,” Stenhouse said.

Busch then said that wasn’t true again, and Stenhouse swung his fist and appeared to hit Busch in the face.

After the initial contact, Stenhouse’s dad — Ricky Stenhouse Sr. — also went after Busch and swung at him.

“Dad! Dad!” Stenhouse Jr. said after being knocked to the ground, then asked a crew member: “Can you get my dad?”

Stenhouse Sr. and Busch angrily tussled and grabbed each other for a few moments before they were pulled apart.

“Bring it! I don’t give a f—,” Busch then yelled at Stenhouse Jr. “I suck just as bad as you! Let’s go!”

Busch was referring to his disappointing season so far and a 10th-place finish on Sunday night. Stenhouse is also having struggles this year after winning the Daytona 500 last season.

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(Photo: Sean Gardner / Getty Images)

Austin Maddox, a former Boston Red Sox pitcher, was arrested in Florida on Monday as part of an underage sex sting. 

Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said Maddox was one of 27 people who were arrested as part of an operation that spanned across multiple agencies. 

Maddox and the others arrested are being accused of soliciting sex over the internet from those believed to be children, according to officials. 

Maddox, 33, intends to fight the allegations, according to his defense attorney James Hill. He will be entering a not guilty plea should formal charges be filed against him. 

Maddox is being charged with four felony counts, which include traveling to meet after using a computer to solicit a child. Bail has been set at $300,000 for Maddox, who is being held in jail. 

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The sex sting operation saw Maddox communicating with an undercover agent who pretended to be an underage girl on April 28. According to the arrest report, Maddox said he wanted to have sex with the girl (the undercover agent), though it was made known to him that she was 14. 

After agreeing to a pre-determined location, authorities met Maddox to arrest him. 

Austin Maddox #62 of the Boston Red Sox throws during a team workout on February 15, 2018 at Fenway South in Fort Myers, Florida. (Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Maddox, who was born in Jacksonville, played just 13 games in MLB in 2017. He threw 17.1 innings, giving up 13 hits but allowing just one earned run over that span for a 0.52 ERA. 

But Maddox didn’t last long in the bigs, as shoulder injuries derailed his stay. 

He was a standout at the University of Florida during his college days, as he would end up being drafted by Boston in the third round of the 2012 MLB Draft. However, things didn’t pan out professionally, as he spent most of his time in the minors. 

He last pitched in 2018 for three different teams, including Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket. 

Austin Maddox #71 of the Boston Red Sox looks on before game one of the American League Division Series against the Houston Astros on October 5, 2017 at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. (Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Maddox was released by the team in 2019. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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The expanding list of first impressions made by Jim Harbaugh on the Chargers grew by one Monday — a rather hilarious one.

“I don’t want to get in trouble for this, but he reminds me of Will Ferrell,” linebacker Denzel Perryman said. “The way that he talks, his analogies and everything. They really remind me of Will Ferrell.

“It’s funny to me. I know that he means well and everything’s coming from the heart, but I feel like you gotta have a sense of humor to understand some of his lines and gimmicks.”

Perryman had no history with Harbaugh before returning to the team that signed him in March as a free agent. About eight weeks earlier, the Chargers had hired Harbaugh as head coach.

Now the two are trying to rally the team back from a 5-12 finish, Perryman one of options to man the middle of a defense being revamped in the image of what Harbaugh ran at Michigan.

“I love him as a coach,” Perryman said. “I love the direction that he’s got us going in. He played the game. He played here. He understands.”

As the Chargers continued their offseason program in Costa Mesa, their defense looked as complete as it has since the middle of 2023. That’s because edge rushers Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa both were present.

The two multiple-Pro Bowlers joined their teammates on the field for the first time this offseason during the portion of practices open to the media. Both restructured their deals in March to remain with the team.

Now, Perryman is back, too, after spending two seasons with Las Vegas and one with Houston. The Chargers drafted Perryman in the second round in 2015, and he emerged as a hard hitter during his first six NFL seasons.

“Feels good to be back, back where it all started,” Perryman said. “Feels like I’m back home.”

He is the learned presence at a position where the Chargers also feature a pair of risers in second-year pro Daiyan Henley and rookie Junior Colson, along with veterans Nick Niemann and Troy Dye.

Perryman and Henley took the first snaps during 11-on-11 drills Monday, after Colson left the workout early — walking off the field with trainers — and did not return.

Having played for Harbaugh in college, Colson is familiar with the scheme being implemented by first-year coordinator Jesse Minter, who also came from Michigan.

That experience, plus Colson’s sideline-to-sideline play-making and overall on-field command, have boosted his projections since the Chargers drafted him in the third round last month.

“We’re in meetings, and he’s answering every single question,” linebacker coach NaVorro Bowman said. “He’s there to settle them [fellow linebackers] down and really just say, ‘Hey, coach is talking fast, but it’s just this.’ ”

As for Colson’s development, Bowman said he “just needs to learn how to be a pro. I think that’s where I come in.”

An eight-year veteran, Bowman began his career with San Francisco, where he played for Harbaugh from 2011-14. He was named a first-team All-Pro four times and led the NFL in tackles in 2015.

Bowman said his tutelage of Colson will include everything from when to take chances on the field to how to care for his body off it. In watching Colson play at Michigan, Bowman said he “saw a leader.”

He also said Perryman will provide an example for the Chargers’ young linebackers.

“He’s a 10-year vet,” Bowman said. “He’s doing the things that a lot of 10-year guys I played with wouldn’t do. He’s approaching it the right way.”

One change for Perryman in his Chargers return will be his jersey number. He will wear No. 6, which he had last season with the Texans. During his first stint with the Chargers, Perryman was No. 52. That now belongs to Mack.

“Honestly, I wasn’t paying Khalil Mack millions of dollars for No. 52,” Perryman said, laughing. “I was like, ‘Yeah, he can have it.’ Six was available, so I just started rocking with it again.”

Known for his light and engaging personality, Perryman was in midseason form during his first session with reporters, the highlight being his comparison of Harbaugh to a comedian known for his often goofy characters.

Perryman was asked if he’s mentioned the Will Ferrell observation to his new head coach.

“Not yet,” he said. “But I’m pretty sure he’ll hear this and talk to me about it tomorrow.”