NASCAR Feuds

Every sport has feuds and fights, to what extreme, depends on the sport.  NASCAR is known for its fights, the more famous ones where there was a physical fight or the ones where heated words were exchanged, resulting in bad blood between drivers.   No matter which fight, people will always remember them.  Sit back and enjoy a trip down Memory Lane as I countdown ten of the most famous (and funny) fights. 

Number 10: Starting off in the Camping World Truck Series from the 2010 Season.  It was mid-season and Austin Dillon wasn’t having a good day - he had trouble in practice and then when it was time to start the engines, more bad luck arrived.  He wasn’t on the lead lap when Matt Crafton came along, with not many laps to go.   Matt, who was on the lead lap, got into the back of Austin, and led him off into a corner, Austin wrecked, taking Max Papis and Dennis Setzer with him.  Clearly upset, the whole No. 3 Bass Pro Shops crew headed over to Crafton’s truck when he got out to show their displeasure.  When interviewed, Austin said that it was stupid to race him that hard since he wasn’t on the lead lap, competing for a position. 

Number 9: Joey Logano and Ryan Newman.  We all know Joey Logano was the 2009 Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year…no one would  ever think that he would be the one to fight, right? Wrong! In the 2010 Season, Joey got into two fights, one with Harvick, and the other with Ryan Newman. During the Cup race at Michigan, Logano and Newman were fighting for the 15^th position.  Joey got loose and into Ryan.  Let’s just say Newman wasn’t too happy. When they both got out of the car and changed, shoving and cursing (f-bomb mostly) ensued, which made for some great highlight reels for the Michigan race. 

Number 8: Once again, cue Ryan Newman; this time it was last week at Richmond.  With who? None other than Juan Pablo Montoya.  The two never liked each other, and this came to a head when they fought it out on the track last week.  A bump for a bump and a rear quarter panel for a rear quarter panel.  When the race (and their constant bumping and banging) was over, Newman went to the NASCAR hauler to talk things out and see what was going to be done.  According to articles I’ve read (which may have been false) Montoya got in his golf cart and drove away. 

Number 7: The Jeffs… Burton and Gordon that is.  Last year at Texas, one of the last races, Burton blocked Gordon on the track.  During the caution, Gordon decided to show Burton how unhappy he was with that move to block him, he went to slightly bump the back of Burton’s car and ended up hooking them both into the wall.  After they both got out of the car, Gordon goes over to Burton and starts to push him and they get into a fist fight.  After the fight is broken up by officials, Jeff-squared had to ride in the same ambulance (not a smart move in my opinion).

Number 6: Carl Edwards and Kevin Harvick at Lowe’s (Now Charlotte) Motor Speedway during the 2008 Nationwide/Sprint Series season.  This started the Sunday before during the Cup race at Talladega when Edwards made a mistake that caused 12-car wreck.  When Harvick was interviewed, he used “pansy” to describe Edwards’ strategy for the race.  After Nationwide practice at Lowe’s, Edwards went over to talk to Harvick.  It wasn’t long before their words turned into heated words, which turned into Edwards grabbing Harvick’s throat.  The fight was broken up and that was the end of that. 

Number 5: Call Happy Harvick back! This next fight was between Harvick and Biffle during the Busch (Nationwide) Series race at Bristol in 2002.  With nine laps to go, Biffle turned Harvick head-on into the corner (no safer barrier).  After the accident, Harvick walked over to Biffle’s pit box and told a reporter “I’ll be waiting when he comes in here.”  When Biffle got out of the car, Harvick was there, grasping onto his driver suit, screaming at him.  Classic Harvick for ya!

Number 4: Last round for Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano.  This fight occurred last year at Pocono after Logano and Harvick were fighting for position on lap 199 when Harvick got into the back of Logano.  Logano said that Harvick intentionally got off the gas to hit him in the right rear to spin him.  Which was when the famous “I don’t know what his deal is with me. It’s probably not his fault.  His wife wears the fire suit in the family and tells him what to do.  It’s probably not his fault.”  comment came into play, causing DeLana and Kevin Harvick to make up t-shirts and sell them for charity. 

Number 3: Jimmy Spencer and Kurt Busch at Michigan 2003.  This happened when a radio conversation showed that Busch intentionally tried to crush the fender of Jimmy’s car.  After the race, Spencer got out of his car and punched Busch when he was still in his car, breaking one of Busch’s teeth and giving him a bloody nose.  Spencer was suspended for a race and fined $25,000.  Both drivers were also put on probation.

Number 2: This is the most memorable fight of all time, the 1979 Daytona 500 between Bobby Allison and Cale Yarborough.  On the last lap of the 500, Cale and Donnie Allison kept crashing into one another on the track and in the grass before finally wrecking in Turn 3.  Bobby Allison (Donnie’s brother) passed by the wreck as it was happening, finished the race, drove back around and parked his car next to Cale’s car.  After the both of them got out of the car, he started punching Cale.

Number 1: I know everyone would think that the fight between Yarborough and Allison would be number one, but I honestly think that we’ll end up seeing a big fight before the end of the year, whether it’s in the Truck, Nationwide or Cup Series, so I’m going to leave this spot reserved for that moment.  But for now, consider the Yarborough/Allison number one. 

See how the fights and feuds are remembered throughout the years?  This is the thing that makes our sport so great, we know there will always be bumping and banging and the occasional fight to make things more interesting!