NASCAR News and Views

 

TICK, TICK, BOOM!

Jimmy Spencer vs. Kurt Busch (Michigan 2002)

Spencer and Busch had many run-ins on the track during the 2002 season.  After hard racing and bumping at Michigan, the feud came to blows.

“[Spencer is a] decrepit old has been [with the] brain of a peanut.”—Kurt Busch

Jimmy’s response:  punching Kurt in the nose after a race.

Kevin Harvick vs. Ricky Rudd
(Richmond 2003)

After Rudd spun “Happy” Harvick out in a corner at Richmond, a war of words, and hood jumping, commenced.

“[They were] walking up and down my car like a dadgum runway or something jumping up or down.”—Ricky Rudd

Cale Yarborough vs. Bobby Allison (Daytona 1979)

Yarborough instigated a crash with Donnie Allison on the final lap of the Dayton 500, but after the race Bobby Allison did all the talking—with his fists.

“He went to beating on my fist with his nose.  That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.”—Bobby Allison

 

 

Fussin’ and a Feudin’

by Heather Scoville

Jockeying for position at high speeds is enough to put even the most level headed drivers on edge.  NASCAR has always been known for its driver feuds and colorful off-track comments to the media causing tension between drivers.

After a long day of bumps and crashes on the track, tempers can get hotter than the engine of a car with too much tape on its nose.  Most of the time, these skirmishes vanish before the next race.  There are some, however that can last a few races, a season, or even longer.

In the early 1980s, Darrell Waltrip was the driver in the spotlight on the track and off-track with the media.  His style and superior attitude rubbed Dale Earnhardt the wrong way.  Comments and hard racing were exchanged between the two in 1986, but the Intimidator refused to be pushed around.

Even teammates can have feuds that make the headlines. The Penske racing garage was an intense place with Ryan Newman and Rusty Wallace always bickering.  Different driving styles and philosophies kept the two from working together on the track.  The feud made headlines when Wallace ran into Newman’s car on pit road after the Martinsville race in 2004.  This was in retaliation for Newman knocking Wallace out of line during the race.  The teammates did not talk after that incident for several months.

2006 is already heating up the rivalries on and off the track.  Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth traded paint and words after the Daytona 500.  Stewart’s aggressive driving was also a point of contention with Kyle Busch at both Daytona and Las Vegas.  Kyle’s older brother Kurt also had some words for the press about Kevin Harvick’s driving after the Atlanta race.  These issues seem to have been worked out, but it is still early in the season, so more feuds will surely be started and ended before 2006 is history.

--February, 2006

Article may not be reproduced without permission of the author.

 

 

 

 

 


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