Wednesday, May 11, 2011

It's been a while but I'm back ... a feud made in heaven

Yes, it's been a while since I've posted, but had to tend to business as I put to rest the man who first introduced me to racing at dirt tracks in the Midwest in my dad. We spent many an afternoon together at places like the Terre Haute Action Track, a great dirt half-mile oval, watching the likes of guys like Jeff Gordon, when he was 17, a young Ryan Newman and Kasey Kahne, learn to drive by the seat of their pants, rather than by what computer readouts were telling them.
And yes, it was great to see Regan Smith get his first win Saturday at Darlington, but of course, everybody is talking about the feud between Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick, which erupted after late-race accident Saturday night. And really, there's no better pair to have a feud than these two.
First, they each have a reputation for being a bit bullyish at times, though I would give credit to Busch for keeping his temper pretty much under control this season. But here's why this is what NASCAR needs.
Two drivers contending for the Chase for the Championship.
Two drivers from top teams, Busch from Gibbs Racing, and Harvick from Richard Childress Racing.
Two drivers in different cars, Busch in a Toyota and Harvick in a Chevy.
Busch was obviously upset that Harvick, the neighborhood bully, gave him a little bump. It looked like Busch was ready to return to the favor with a side bump and Harvick was ready to get out of the way, leaving Clint Bowyer as the innocent bystander.
But Busch was in control of the post race situation. He waited for Harvick to exit his car, then bumped the driverless No. 29 vehicle into the wall and drove away when Harvick came over and tried to throw a punch at a guy wearing a helmet. That's a calculated move by Busch.
Who's right and who's wrong? It doesn't really matter.
It's just giving NASCAR the kind of rivalry it needs to add some spice to the middle of the season.

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