NASCAR Drivers Involved in Fight
Sometimes a race car driver’s temper will get the best of them.
My Buddy Darrell Waltrip did an interesting video highlighting the all-time best feuds in NASCAR. Darrell has seen his share of NASCAR feuds – now he tells all.
See helmets get tossed, people climbing over the tops of cars, and an entire race team in a free for all.
First Waltrip revisits NASCAR exec Robin Pemberton’s remarks earlier when he said “we just want the boys to have at it – we want them to put on a good show for the fans.”
Waltrip describes the feud between Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski as a “volcano waiting to erupt.”
I had more run-ins with Earnhardt than anybody, said Waltrip.
DW also visits the feud between Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski when Hamlin said “my goal was to win the race first, and take care of him second,” talking about Keselowski.
Does it seem that Brad Keselowski’s name keeps coming up here?
But Waltrip also mentions the feuds between Dale Earnhardt and Bobby Labonte, and between Kevin Harvick and Ricky Rudd.
If you don’t believe people are passionate about winning in NASCAR you have to see this video.
Watch it and let me know what you think.
What Makes NASCAR So Special to You?
Does NASCAR have a special place in your heart?
What is it about NASCAR that makes it so interesting to you?
Tell your favorite NASCAR story, or tell why you follow NASCAR, or tell how you first got interested.
Do you watch because of the speed involved or the courage it takes to keep the pedal to the metal? Do you watch because of a certain driver or a certain car? Do you watch for the strategy and the action? Do you watch to see the wrecks?
Tell us your NASCAR story and you could win a NASCAR DVD. We’ll draw one random winner from everyone who leaves a meaningful comment to this article.
Update: Mavis is the winner of the DVD but we have plenty more to give away. Please continue to share your comments
Tensions High After Harvick Wins Michigan
Photo Courtesy NASCAR Media
Tensions were running a little high in the garage area after the race.
Kevin Harvick secured his spot in the Chase with a win in the Carfax 400 at Michigan International Speedway Sunday.
Harvick chose track position over fresh Goodyears to secure the victory. When other drivers pitted during the final caution Harvick stayed on the track in order to remain near the head of the pack.
That gamble paid off when Harvick passed Denny Hamlin for the lead with just a few laps remaining to take the lead and secure the win.
Dale Jr Very Blunt About It
Dale Earnhardt Jr didn’t appreciate being questioned about his team’s chances of making the Chase by ESPN reporter Marty Smith.
“I really don’t give a shit about it,” said Dale Earnhardt Jr. “I’m going home.”
“I busted my ass all day – so I’m gonna hit the house.”
It was pretty obvious that junior was very angry about another 19th place finish. It was also very obvious that he was in no mood to talk about it.
But the banter made one thing crystal clear. Earnhardt very obviously does care about his team’s performance – and he is not happy about it.
You have to wonder how much longer Dale Jr will put up with the crew and equipment Hendrick Motorsports is putting behind him.
Logano and Newman Tussle
Ryan Newman and Joey Logano went toe to toe for a few minutes following the race. The conversation when Logano poked Newman in the chest and Newman returned the favor to Logano. NASCAR Officials had to step in and separate the two just before punches were thrown.
Newman was unhappy with Logano after Logano’s Toyota clipped the rear of Newman’s Chevy sending Newman spinning into the infield.
After the incident Logano complained that Newman always races everyone too hard. But hard tracing is what built NASCAR – it’s what fans pay to see. There is no such thing as racing too hard.
Will the tensions carry over to Bristol’s Night Race next week? What do you think?
Who’s Most Clueless About NASCAR?
Who is the most clueless person you know when it comes to NASCAR?
Enter and Win!
Answer this question and you’ll be entered in the RacingWin contest for to win a free license plate featuring one of NASCAR’s all-time greatest drivers
Sometimes I’ll meet someone who just doesn’t ‘get’ NASCAR. They simply can’t understand why anyone would want to watch “cars going around in circles – and turning left.”
These people are totally clueless.
They don’t know Brad Keselowski from Brad Pitt
They don’t appreciate the skill it takes to drive a car 4 wide at 200 MPH at Talladega for 3 hours straight. They have no idea how much strategy goes into making split second decisions in the pits that can spell the difference between winning and finishing 15th. They could care less that fabricators spend months hand building the perfect car for drafting at Daytona.
Have you ever met anyone like this? Have you tried to educate them on the inner workings of NASCAR? If so, did you succeed, or is that person still clueless?
Tell us your story and you could win an Officially Licensed souvenir from the RacingWin hauler. The best story wins. So have at it boys and girls.
Update: this contest is now closed. Sharon King is the winner of a Dale Earnhardt license plate. Thanks for playing.
Ban NASCAR Motorhomes for Better Racing
Get rid of the driver’s motorhome lot and you’ll instantly see a pickup in the on track competition level in NASCAR.
Drivers have become a little too friendly with each other – and that has led to too much give and take on the race track. When drivers become too friendly with each other they are less likely to race each other hard when it counts.
Drivers don’t need to be pals, buddies and friends. They need to be rivals, foes and enemies to the bitter end.
When drivers spend the weekend camping out in the infield they end up visiting with other drivers in the motorhome lot. They grill steaks, tell stories, play video games and gather up for poker.
NASCAR drivers have become just a little too friendly with each other.
When Jimmie Johnson goes over to Jeff Gordon’s motorhome for dinner the day before a big race it makes it that much harder for Jeff to give Jimmie the bump and run on race day.
When Kyle Busch shows up at Dale Earnhardt Jr’s motorhome for online racing that makes Junior think twice before moving Kyle out of the racing groove.
There was a lot more racing and a lot less giving up positions before drivers started bringing their motorhomes to the racetrack.
NASCAR, ban the motorhomes and let’s have at it boys.
NASCAR’s Secret Penalty System is Wrong
Did NASCAR fine Dale Earnhardt Jr for something he said? Or was it Kyle Busch, or Jimmie Johnson?
NASCAR Director of Corporate Communications Ramsey Poston has admitted that two star drivers have been fined for making remarks about NASCAR and the way it runs races. But Poston did not say who was fined or what was said that NASCAR didn’t like.
A secret penalty system is a little bit suspect. NASCAR needs to be more transparent. If they are covering up the fact that divers are being punished it makes people wonder what else is being kept under wraps.
One driver was fined as much as $50,000 for making comments disparaging to NASCAR, according to the Associated Press.
Poston defended NASCAR’s actions as protecting its brand.
“It is the sanctioning body’s obligation on behalf of the industry and our fans to protect the sport’s brand,” Poston said. “Any action taken by NASCAR has nothing to do with the drivers expressing an opinion. It’s focused on actions or comments that materially damage the sport. We have specifically discussed this in meetings with teams, drivers and stakeholders.”
If a driver makes comments that are not true, and that drive fans and sponsors away from NASCAR, then they should be fined. But the fine and the reason for it should be made public.
But if a driver is stating a fact or arguing his point he should not be fined for it. There is a line somewhere – we just don’t know if that line was crossed because all this was handled in the back room.
Where do you think that line is? What should drivers be allowed to say without fear of retribution? Do you agree with NASCAR’s secret penalties?
NASCAR’s Power Shift
Photo Courtesy NASCAR Media
McMurray’s Indy Win Shows NASCAR’s Shift of Power.
Jamie McMurray’s win Sunday at the Brickyard was a popular one among NASCAR fans and drivers.
Many of McMurray’s on track competitors stopped by at the end of the race to congratulate him. And race fans that would normally be pulling for Dale Earnhardt Jr, or Kyle Busch, or Jeff Gordon were happy to see McMurray win if their driver could not.
That was McMurray’s 2nd big win this year. The first being the Daytona 500.
But beyond that, McMurray’s win signals a fundamental shift in power among NASCAR teams. Hendrick Motorsports is not what it used to be. And neither is Roush Racing.
McMurray gave Roush their last victory, and that was at Talladega last year.
Even the Joe Gibbs Racing hot streak seems to have cooled off.
But McMurray’s team has rallied. Not long ago both Chip Ganassi and Teresa Earnhardt were almost out of business. Instead they merged their two teams to form Earnhardt Ganassi racing. Now they are poised to be the next big thing.
Richard Childress Racing has also seen a resurgence this year. And it doesn’t hurt that Childress has partnered with Ganassi and Earnhardt to form ECR Engines which produces engines for both teams. Judging by the performance of the Earnhardt Ganassi teams and the RCR teams the ECR engine shop produced the most reliable and most powerful engines for Indy.
McMurray wasn’t the only fast car powered by ECR engines. His teammate Juan Pablo Montoya led the most laps. Kevin Harvick finished 2nd with an engine from the same shop. 4 of the top 6 finishers were powered by ECR engines.
And don’t forget that David Reutimann scored a win for Michael Waltrip Racing not long ago at Chicago.
The competition level has evened out lately. The powerhouse teams have fell off – and the guys who used to be underdogs are now contenders. And I am not sure exactly what to attribute it to. What about you?
First Man to Win the Brickyard 400
This contest is closed. For the answer please click here.
Update: Here’s a hint — it is not Jeff Gordon.
NASCAR Indy Trivia Contest
Who was the first man to win NASCAR’s Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway?
Big Bill France first approached the bigwigs at Indy about running a stock car race at Indy in the 1950’s – but the Indy folks would have nothing to do with the rowdy stock car crowd.
So Big Bill decided to build his own track. You might have heard of it. A little place called Daytona International Speedway.
It would take about 40 years for the folks at Indy to come around and invite the NASCAR drivers over for what was originally going to be a one race deal called the Brickyard 400.
But the bosses at Indy didn’t really want the race to be a success. They even blocked off 20,000 seats from ticket sales so that the Brickyard 400 wouldn’t outsell the Indy 500.
So here’s the trivia question. Who was the first man to win NASCAR’s Brickyard 400 at Indy.
Think you know who it was? Leave your answer below. We’ll draw from all the correct answers. The winner gets a license plate featuring the first man to win the Brickyard.
Daytona Track Talk
Here’s your chance to have your say about what happened in Daytona Saturday night.
In case you missed anything, here’s a recap of the Coke Zero 400.
What are your thoughts on what happened in this wild race?
Dateline Daytona Beach, Fla. –
It was a wild one Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway – so wild you had to wonder whether there were going to be any cars running at the finish.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings leader Kevin Harvick won the last race on the track’s current pavement after running up front all night. He managed to dodge the on-track fireworks that littered the Coke Zero 400 Presented by Coca-Cola from start to finish, a race that set a new event record with 18 different leaders and may spark conversation for years.
The 2.5-mile Daytona track is scheduled for repaving beginning immediately, but the old worn-out asphalt went out with a bang that left more than half the field beat-up and battered.
The stage for a green-white-checkered finish was set with one lap to go when two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Sam Hornish, Jr., lost control of his Dodge and clipped Kurt Busch, causing a lot of damaged to both cars.
Harvick’s teammate, Clint Bowyer, was leading on the restart but got tangled up down the backstretch and spun out of contention. It was a tough, tough break for Bowyer, who had appeared to be heading for his first Daytona victory.
Kasey Kahne finished second and Jeff Gordon third behind Harvick. Dale Earnhardt, Jr., was fourth after running poorly most of the night. Jeff Burton was fifth after being involved in a multi-car crash that red-flagged the race for 19:34. More than 20 cars were involved in this accident, which had debris scattered for more than half-a-mile on the track. In fact, many of the frontrunners in the race were eliminated, including Juan Pablo Montoya, Tony Stewart, four-time champion Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski, Ryan Newman and others.
An earlier accident with less than 60 laps remaining knocked another contender out of the race. Kyle Busch was leading when he drifted up across the nose of Montoya, turning Busch’s Toyota into the outside wall and ending his chances.
The fact that Earnhardt finished fourth was testament to the fact that many of the fast cars were damaged in the huge wreck.
Carl Edwards finished sixth, followed by Kurt Busch, whose Dodge looked like a candidate for the junkyard. Busch was involved in several of the accidents.
Rounding out the top 10 were Reed Sorensen, Mike Bliss and Scott Speed.
The cars roared to life after a 90-minute rain delay. Johnson, Harvick and Kyle Busch led before a 15-lap competition caution allowed crews to check tire wear. Two cars were already back in the garage, those of Dave Blaney and Max Pappis.
When racing resumed, Harvick and Biffle were up front, followed by the Busch brothers. Harvick and Kyle Busch barreled to the front a couple laps later. At 30 laps, Harvick still led with Busch in tow. Sadler was third, followed by Truex, Keselowski, Burton, Kurt Busch, Biffle, Johnson and Reutimann. Truex led briefly before Kyle Busch took over. Sadler then led but Kyle Busch made an unscheduled stop with a wheel problem.
Drivers were swapping the lead so fast it was hard to keep up with the changes. Kurt Busch led a few laps, then Harvick took over again with Hornish giving him the shove to the front.
By Lap 32, Busch was leading again. Reutimann had raced into second place. Hornish led Lap 42 before Sadler went back to the front. Drivers were racing every lap like it was the final lap and the crowd of close to 100,000 loved every minute of it. Johnson pitted on Lap 48 with a tire problem. Hornish had taken the lead at 50 laps from Sadler. Montoya had moved from 22nd to third and Kurt Busch was close behind. Gordon was next and Reutimann was sixth. Burton was next.
A debris caution fell on Lap 58. When the green flag waved again on Lap 63, it was Montoya out front followed by Gordon, Sorensen, Keselowski, Sadler, Hornish, McMurray, Reutimann, Truex and Newman, who was cracking the top 10 for the first time in the race.
AJ Allmendinger brought out another caution on Lap 67 when he spun off Turn 4 in the short chute and hit the inside wall.
On the 70th lap restart, Gordon led with Keselowski on the outside. One lap later, Keselowski took the lead with Gordon challenging and Gordon went by half-a-lap later. Montoya moved into second. A lap later, Montoya led and then Hamlin charged out front after starting in the back of the pack.
At the halfway point of 80 laps, Hornish led with a gaggle of chargers right behind. Kenseth had moved to second with Johnson third. Rounding out the top 12 were McMurray, Hamlin, Montoya, Gordon, Kyle Busch, Reutimann, Burton, Kurt Busch and Edwards.
So what are your thoughts on this race. Be sure to leave your comments below.
Photo Courtesy NASCASR Media
NASCAR Champion Suspended
Two time NASCAR Busch Series Champion Randy LaJoie was suspended by NASCAR today for violating its substance abuse policy. He tested positive for marijuana.
The violation stems from a failed drug test during the week of June 11, 2010 when LaJoie was serving as a spotter for the No. 18 Nationwide team at Kentucky Speedway.
Unlike Jeremy Mayfield, LaJoie has admitted that he is guilty of the violation. According to LaJoie he was giving golf cart rides to fans in the infield at Charlotte Motor Speedway during the Coca Cola 600 weekend in May when he became involved with a group holding a party in the infield.
In fact, LaJoie admitted his guilt on Sirius Speedway with Dave Moody even before the official word came down from NASCAR.
According to LaJoie, “The use of marijuana was an isolated incident.” But He did not try to hide or deny anything.
“I take full responsibility for my actions and I respect NASCAR’s decision,” LaJoie said. “I did it. No one held a gun to my head.”
“You can’t fix stupid,” LaJoie said.”God that’s got to be the dumbest thing I’ve ever done in my life. But I’ve got to turn this negative into a positive. If I can help people out there I’m going to help people.”
“I’m not Cheech and Chong,” LaJoie said. “Guilty? Yes. Did I do it? Yes. Why? I don’t know. It was one those moments.”
“I screwed up. I’m not blaming business reasons, I’m not blaming personal reasons, I’m not blaming anybody except myself. I did this in Charlotte, and this is the outcome. However quickly I can get back I’m going to do it. I’m going to do whatever we’re going to do to get it done, get it done quickly, so I can be back on a pit box for my kid.”
LaJoie says he intends to work closely with NASCAR and Dr. Black who administers the drug testing program for NASCAR. He says he will do whatever it takes to get his NASCAR credentials back.
His first step will be to enroll in a substance abuse program.
LaJoie is currently a team owner in the NASCAR K&N Pro East Series. That car is driven by his Son Corey LaJoie.
He is also very active on the safety side of NASCAR. His company, The Joie of Seating builds custom racing seats designed to keep drivers safe in a crash.
LaJoie is an analyst for Sirius NASCAR Radio and ESPN as well. For the time being he is off the air on ESPN. No word yet on his job at Sirius.
He is the 1996 and 1997 NASCAR Busch Series Champion.
Here is the official release from NASCAR:
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 22, 2010) – Randy LaJoie, a crew member for the No. 18 team in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, has been indefinitely suspended from NASCAR for violating the sanctioning body’s substance abuse policy.
On June 11, LaJoie was found to have violated Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 19 (violation of the NASCAR substance abuse policy) of the 2010 NASCAR Rule Book.
What do you think about all this. Is LaJoie handling things in the right way. Do you want to see him back in NASCAR?
