Jeff Lockridge

Special for USA TODAY Sports

AVONDALE, Ariz. -- The post-race roughhousing remained a hot topic for the drivers who are testing this week at Phoenix International Raceway.

On Tuesday, NASCAR fined Brad Keselowski $50,000 and Tony Stewart $25,000 and placed both on probation through the Nov. 9 race here for their actions after the checkered flag flew Saturday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Neither Matt Kenseth nor Denny Hamlin, both of whom had post-race altercations with Keselowski, were penalized.

Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing and Glendale, Ariz., native Michael McDowell are here preparing for the Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 on Nov. 9.

"Here's the rule of thumb in this sport," Clint Bowyer, driver of the No. 15 Toyota for MWR, playfully noted Tuesday between test sessions. "If Matt Kenseth comes running at you and puts you in a headlock and punches you in the nose, there's no jury needed. There's no judge needed. You're guilty. Period.

"This is the nicest guy in the garage and if you can get him to that breaking point, there's no sense of even saying anything. Just take your beating and go home."

There was no video evidence that Kenseth or Keselowski landed a punch in the dark alley between Team Penske haulers that night, which is part of the reason Kenseth was not penalized.

While NASCAR can't publicly commend the Charlotte shenanigans, those types of storylines only figure to focus more eyes to the final five races of the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship beginning Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway.

The Charlotte race pulled a 3.1 rating (5.01 million), the most TV viewers of the five Chase races thus far. However, that is off from last year's 3.4 rating (5.56 million) for Charlotte under the old Chase format.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was one of several drivers to play up the drama on social media after learning Kenseth had pursued and wrestled with Keselowski after the drivers left their cars.

"It was fun to see and good television and got a lot of people talking," Earnhardt Jr. said. "I just think you don't want to take any unnecessary chances when you have pedestrians, people walking around. I think out on the race track and even on the entrance to pit road there, everything was pretty much on the up and up.

"I do think that it's good for the sport on a short-term basis."

Kenseth and Hamlin were unavailable to the media Tuesday per JGR policy on not commenting at test sessions.

Jimmie Johnson was the lone Hendrick driver who declined to meet with the media. He also left Charlotte without speaking to the media after a 17th-place finish left the six-time and reigning champion mired in 11th place among the dozen remaining Chase drivers.

Kenseth's primary gripe was that he was hit on pit road after he had taken off his HANS safety device and unbuckled his seat belts.

"I always keep my belts a little tighter and my HANS clipped when I know I may have a run-in with somebody if we had a heated battle on the track," four-time champion Jeff Gordon said.

"It's one thing to go and kind of rub on a guy after the race is over and show him your displeasure. I've been guilty of plenty of things myself. I'm not excluding myself when I say this, but spinning somebody, making major contact, causing major damage to another car — even on the track when the caution has come out — is wrong."

Gordon, who finished second at Charlotte, entered the media room there and stood transfixed while he watched a replay of the Keselowski-Kenseth throw-down. He also watched a replay of Stewart backing into Keselowski on pit road in retaliation for getting hit from behind without provocation.

Gordon thrust his arms into the air and yelled ''Kenseth!'' and touted the emotions and drama the race gave fans -- and fellow drivers.

"The fans love it. The media loves it. So sometimes it just happens and we just lose control of our emotions. … But once you come behind that pit wall, there's fans, there's media, there's pit crew members that could be in harm's way. That's where it definitely has to stop," he said Tuesday.

Gordon is no stranger to this type of behavior, as he pointed out. In 2012 here, he intentionally wrecked Bowyer on the track. The wreck also collected Joey Logano, who was justifiably upset.

Gordon was fined $100,000 and docked 25 points.

In 2006, Gordon pushed Kenseth on pit road at Bristol Motor Speedway after Kenseth wrecked him. Gordon was fined $10,000.

Contributing: USA TODAY Sports

Lockridge writes for the Arizona Republic, a Gannett property