Road rage at NASCAR

Elwood · September 9, 2003

Road rage at NASCAR

By STEVE WILSTEIN, AP Sports Columnist

September 8, 2003

Stock car racing is an adrenaline and testosterone world, fumes and fury at murderous speeds for hours. It's bumping and brawling, clashes and crashes, and fans love it for that.

Therein lies the quandary for NASCAR: To crank up the roars without letting things get too crazy.

It's too crazy when Ricky Rudd sends Kevin Harvick's car slamming into the wall at Richmond, Va., and Harvick's crew stomps on Rudd's car ``like it's a dadgum runway,'' as Rudd described the bizarre scene Saturday night.

It's too crazy when Jimmy Spencer punches out Kurt Busch after a race, as he did a few weeks ago.

It's too crazy when drivers of all stripes, in cars and trucks, are playing dangerous games night after night, not quite cheating but not quite racing clean.

A driver is going to get killed one day, on or off the track, if the latest epidemic of road rage doesn't stop. Fans don't want to see wimps cruising the speedways, but the sport doesn't need drivers attacking each other with their cars or their fists.

``This bump-and-run thing is out of control,'' Darrell Waltrip says. ``NASCAR's got to start taking action against the people that are doing the bumping, not the people who are getting bumped.

``It's always happened, but it's become an epidemic. It just gets worse and worse, and it finds its way into every series. Every race at Richmond -- truck, Busch and Cup -- was decided by somebody bumping somebody out of the way. It's bad sportsmanship. The poor guy leading the race is a sitting duck.''

Waltrip got into plenty of scrapes in his time but he says what's going on now is ``unacceptable.''

NASCAR couldn't agree more. Yet quick as it was to sock Harvick and five members of his Richard Childress Racing No. 29 team with penalties Monday, NASCAR did nothing to punish Rudd.

Harvick was fined $35,000 and placed on probation until Dec. 31. His crew chief, Todd Berrier, was fined $10,000. Crew members Mike Scearce and Gene Pasquale were suspended from NASCAR competition for a week, placed on probation until Dec. 31 and fined -- $5,000 for Berrier, $2,500 for Pasquale. Two other crew members, Kirk Almquist and Ken Barber were placed on probation and fined $2,500 each.

The actions ``detrimental to stock car racing'' included Harvick hitting Rudd's car on pit road, his crew damaging the car, a couple of guys throwing things at Rudd, and the whole lot of them using some darn ``improper language.''

The only member of Rudd's team to get penalized was crew chief Pat Tryson -- $5,000 for cussing. Tryson apparently said something stronger than, ``Gosh, guys, would you please stop jumping on our car.''

NASCAR also fined two Busch Series drivers and their crew chiefs, and Trucks Series driver Bobby Hamilton for various other post-race fights.

Childress apologized for the melee but didn't back down from supporting Harvick.

``I called the Wood Brothers to apologize and told them that I would pay for the damage done to their race car by those crew members,'' Childress said. ``While I understand the emotions of our pit crew, the action they took was uncalled for.

``I want to say, however, that I understand and support Kevin Harvick's feelings for wanting to have a few words with Ricky Rudd after the race. Kevin knows the mistakes he made and I'm sure he would do some things different if he had to do it over again, but I stand behind him because I've been in the same situation as a driver.''

Harvick had every right to be angry. He was running second to Ryan Newman at the time, then finished 16th after the bump and missed a shot at passing Dale Earnhardt Jr. for second in the points standings.

But Harvick needs anger management classes if he thinks what he and his crew did was simply have ``a few words'' with Rudd.

Calling Rudd's nudge a ``cheap shot,'' Harvick swore after the race that ``he's going to get one back. I promise you that.''

Rudd took a verbal shot at Harvick's ``yap-yap mouth,'' but insisted the bump was an accident -- a claim Waltrip doesn't buy.

``These are the world's greatest drivers. You don't accidentally run into somebody,'' Waltrip says. ``Your foot doesn't slip off the brake. Your foot doesn't accidentally hit the gas pedal. They have got to start taking action against the people that cause the wrecks.

``We used to bump around, push around, but we had a lot of respect for each other as well. Drivers today need to go back and look at how we used to race.''

Improper language is the least of stock car racing's problems. Harvick and his crew deserved all those penalties and more. But in slapping only them, NASCAR missed a chance to tone down the heat all around and let drivers know that bumping cars into walls won't be lightly tolerated.

Steve Wilstein is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at swilstein(at)ap.org

Elwood · September 9, 2003

What a load of crap. Rudd's team was as much or more to blame for it as Harick's team. Harvick's team went over to stop Harvick from beating the crap out of Rudd. I can see fining the jackman, who stomped on the hood on his way down, and I can see fining Harvick, but ONLY if they would fine Rudd too. I think I'm going to have to agree with DW on this one....if they would fine the guy doing the bumping this would stop alot sooner. AND it would be safer, because the way it's going you're just going to see retaliation on the track, which will turn out alot worse. Like it is at least they wait until their off the track and nobody at risk of getting killed.

antig24 · September 9, 2003

The way I see the whole thing is would you rather have what Bobby Hamilton did in the truck race or what Harvick did in the cup race? I'd rather see drivers having a "talk" with each other like Harvick did rather than turning someone straight into the wall right past the s/f line like Hamilton did in the truck race.

Truckman031 · September 10, 2003

The way I see the whole thing is would you rather have what Bobby Hamilton did in the truck race or what Harvick did in the cup race? I'd rather see drivers having a "talk" with each other like Harvick did rather than turning someone straight into the wall right past the s/f line like Hamilton did in the truck race.

I wish they'd show this "talk" on TV. IMO, they wouldn't have so much bumping if the cars weren't so darn equal.

Worktruck · September 10, 2003

IMHO NASCAR is setting a dangerous precedent by kind of telling the drivers to "keep it on the track". Someone is going to get seriously hurt and it problably will be someone who has nothing to do with the situation, hopefully not someone in the stands. But that seems to be what they want them to do. NASCAR is not a bunch of gentleman sipping champange and racing once in a while. This sport was born by the redneck good ole boys and should IMO stay humble to these roots. So is some chicken s**t turns you and than won't get out of his car, reach and and make your feelings known. Or better yet get up close and personal after the race, just stay off the other guys car.

MCourson · September 10, 2003

We all know that in racing bumping is to be expected. Intentional bumping, blocking, or "taking out" is unacceptable. I was sitting on the pit road wall at Daytona International Speedway durring WKA Florida Kart week in 12/01. I happened to notice that one guy was bump drafting through the tri-oval. To make a long story short, now he is dead. It seems that some people think that its ok. Just a while back while my class was grouped in the pack coming down the straight for the green the guy behing me was beating the crap out of my back bumper. Why? Thats pointless. I guess he thought that maybe I would speed up, instead I popped the brakes and gave a nice new hole in his front end. I have had a lot of torn up karts and lost races due to someone doing something stupid. The funny part is people think the race is won on the first lap. As soon as we get the green at my local track about 100 feet later the whole pack is funnled into a single groove turn (2 groove if you are really good). I have gone in last and come out first due to major wrecks there. Yes when racing you have to be aggressive, and yes there is a fine line between aggressive and stupid.

Truckman031 · September 10, 2003

IMHO NASCAR is setting a dangerous precedent by kind of telling the drivers to "keep it on the track". Someone is going to get seriously hurt and it problably will be someone who has nothing to do with the situation, hopefully not someone in the stands. But that seems to be what they want them to do. NASCAR is not a bunch of gentleman sipping champange and racing once in a while. This sport was born by the redneck good ole boys and should IMO stay humble to these roots. So is some chicken s**t turns you and than won't get out of his car, reach and and make your feelings known. Or better yet get up close and personal after the race, just stay off the other guys car.

You know NASCAR doesn't stay with its roots. I mean, there is no Labor Day Southern 500 anymore. There is a saying that goes "Dance with who brought ya", obviously Bill France has never heard of it.

The France Family + Mike Helton=

Worktruck · September 11, 2003

Can you say TV revenues?

Truckman031 · September 11, 2003

Can you say TV revenues?

It's all about the $$$ these days .

CMNTMXR81 · September 12, 2003

I wish they'd have more of it! It'd make it a little more exciting. Kinda like hockey before the league stepped in and started fining people for being, well...people and wanting to settle things fisticuffs to fisticuffs.