Hamilton - Harvick still at it...

MountaineerTom · October 21, 2001

From thatsracin

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When Bobby Hamilton was asked Friday if the bad feelings between him and Kevin Harvick were over after last week's late-race incident in Martinsville, Hamilton gave a simple answer.

"No," Hamilton said.

Harvick backed that up with some comments of his own Saturday. Harvick was particularly angered by Hamilton's comments that Harvick is trying to become another Dale Earnhardt, the driver whose ride he moved into after Earnhardt's death at Daytona in February.

"That really irks me," Harvick said. "I think that's almost a jealousy statement and I think it's very disrespectful of our situation. …We'd all trade the situation to be back where we were.

"I'm the guy who didn't want to change the number plates on his go-kart because they had tire marks on them. I thought that was cool. But I've been an aggressive racer from the time I raced Big Wheels in my backyard. That's just how I was taught to race."

Harvick was penalized a lap by NASCAR for rough driving after he hit Hamilton in Turn 4 on the same lap where Hamilton had bumped him in Turn 2.

"If they're going to shove on me, I'm going to shove back," Harvick said. "I don't care if they've been here for 30 years or 20 years or five minutes. If they're going to push, then they need to expect to be pushed back.

"I agree that you need to spend your time doing the things that everybody else has done. I respect the fact that I am a rookie and have some things to learn. But I don't think I should have to change the way I race. I think I should have to learn my lessons as I make the mistakes racing the way I've always raced.

"We're all out there for the same reason and we're all out there trying to win the race. We should all race hard, but whether there is a yellow stripe on the back of the car or not shouldn't mean anything."