Nah, the idiot went on too long without receiving consequences for his stupid mouth. People that say shit like that only say it because they think they can antagonize others without expecting anything in return. I imagine that guy had a long history of shit-talking, you don't spontaneously just become a racist fuckface with a loud mouth.

The fact he took the next step and punched the guy in the face--that's where he crossed the line, and all bets were off. He could have just apologized, run, or shut up but instead he chose to further escalate the situation that he started. At the end of the day, this isn't about being the "bigger man" or whatever it is you're trying to do to make the racist the good guy. Some people need to learn that you can't just go fucking with anyone you like without fear of retribution.

His parents would have done well to warn them of the dangers they might face by picking a fight with a stranger. Luckily, we can learn from his mistake and perhaps even share this tale with our loved ones so they too can catch themselves before they start hurting racial epithets at truck drivers, then proceeding to punch them in the face when confronted for their words. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯