The NASCAR fall weekend at Bristol got off to an early and rough start Wednesday night with the Camping World Truck Series race.
Kevin Harvick won the race, but that felt a little bit secondary to the action behind him throughout the night.
The race had nine cautions, but the big one -- and the one people will talk about for the rest of the weekend -- happened on lap 101 when Kyle Busch clipped the front end of Elliott Sadler’s truck, causing Busch to slam his right-front into the backstretch wall.
The race stayed green, and Busch limped around the track until Sadler came back around and he spun Sadler around to finally bring out the caution.
OK, so the two drivers had a dust-up at Bristol and Busch retaliated. That’s not terribly uncommon at Bristol, but Busch stoked the fire for the rest of the weekend by saying that Sadler wrecked him because he drives for Kevin Harvick Inc.
Unfortunately, Sadler actually drove the #24 truck owned by Joe Denette in this race.
Still, Sadler and Busch will both be in the Nationwide race Friday, and Busch and Harvick will be in the Cup race Saturday.
It’s unlikely Sadler and Busch would go after each other much more because Sadler is involved in the championship hunt in the Nationwide Series, but the Cup race could be another story.
Busch and Harvick have both been off of probation for a while now. And even though Harvick has said NASCAR told him to stay away from Busch on the track, talk is cheap.
If Busch starts to rough Harvick up, Harvick is almost certain to respond.
This could make for one of the best Bristol weekends in a long time. There have been a few moments this season where drivers really got upset with one another. Harvick and Busch at Darlington come to mind, and more recently the Greg Biffle and Boris Said incident at Watkins Glen. However, the biggest fireworks of the season could come Saturday night.
Harvick currently sits third in the points standings and Busch is already locked into the Chase. That means both drivers have very little to lose in the next three races, and they really have the least amount of pressure on them that they will for the rest of the season.
If both drivers are near the front toward the end of the race, we could certainly have a classic Bristol moment.
Bristol has been much tamer in recent years after the track was reconfigured, but Wednesday’s truck race may have brought back the edge to the World’s Fastest Half-Mile and could spice up the rest of the season.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
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I'm a Kyle Busch fan but he was way out of line on this day.
ReplyDeleteHe instigated the first run in he had with Sadler and there was some bumping from Sadler to let Kyle know he didn't appreciate having to lift to avoid mixing it up with the 18. Then later Kyle either moved up without checking or his spotter gave him bad information, but Sadler had a perfect right to be where he was when the 18 turned into him... Then it really got ugly when Kyle went head hunting all the while thinking Sadler and Harvick were in cahoots... Wrong move Kyle...
Just when everybody is starting to talk about how mature Kyle has become (sound familiar?) he blows up all the good will he's generated across 3-4 months in a couple of minutes...
To me this is just more of the same old RCR/HHI psyche game. Before the race all of them were hinting that there was no way Kyle would win the race, no matter what it took.
ReplyDeleteThey were right about that. But Kyle is mature enough to know that except for manufacturing points (and he already has a trophy for that) the truck race means little. Neither he nor Sadler gained or lost points and no other trucks were involved. Just a Bristol moment.
I seriously doubt Kyle is worried about Harvick in the Chase either (except he might get wrecked by him). In eleven years Harvick hasn't one a championship while Johnson has won 5. And how good is he really if after 11+ years with one of the top teams he only has 17 wins (compared to Kyles 22 wins in 8 years).
I like Sue!
ReplyDeleteThe bigger story from the truck race is that there was very little passing, and none on the inside lane. WTH! A short track where you can't pass on the inside?
Kyle has bigger fish to fry than to worry about Harvick. Unlike Harvick, Kyle doesn't worry about paybacks at a later date... once the checkered falls, that race is over for him. On to the next one. No time to wonder who he 'owes' one.
???????????
ReplyDeleteKyle still has a holier-than-thou attitude, thinks he never makes a mistake and can do no wrong. He wrecks of his own accord, and then retaliates by wrecking Sadler, and nothing is done about it? C'mon Elliot, say what you're really thinking. It's about time someone finishes what Childress started and gives this punk the serious assbeating he so badly needs.
Dwindy1 - Well Sadler and Busch made up before the Nationwide race, but maybe that's because Busch sees Harvick as much more of a threat than Sadler. However, that was a "Old Kyle Busch" move, even as much as I hate that term.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Sue - Ha, both each have a Nationwide championship though. Haven't heard much from Harvick lately, I wouldn't be surprised if that #29 starts to show up at the front a little more in the next few races.
Thanks!
Gene - Yeah, having the outside be a preferred groove is weird. But, hopefully there is a finish similar to the Logano-Busch finish in the Nationwide race.
Thanks!
Anonymous - Lol.