11/05/24
August 18, 2003
Rascally Varmint!: Not sure why I got such a kick out of this story, but a driver's duel that results in crashs and fisticuffs just might be a deep-seeded fantasy. And Busch's "decrepit old has-been" comment is pretty sweet. A classic new school vs. old school feud, replete with backwoods flavor.
Robby Gordon, another Winston Cup driver, offered to pay Spencer's fine and said Busch "had it coming for a while." hahaha ... man, how great would it be if these guys started acting on these impulses! A multi-million dollar demo derby!
posted by wfrazerjr at 04:20 PM on August 18, 2003
This stuff is great -- it makes it more interesting when people who hate each others' guts are fighting for position in a race. I'm not a NASCAR expert, but it looks to me that they do act on their impulses often -- giving each other love taps (or worse) during races. A few weeks ago on the road course, Kevin Harvick was pretty coy with interviewers about "accidentally" pushing Jeff Gordon's out-of-gas car off the track and into a wall within sight of the finish line, dropping him from around 5th place to third-to-last.
posted by rcade at 04:28 PM on August 18, 2003
I dunno about a decrepit old has-been but he surely is a fat, ugly bastard.
posted by squealy at 04:30 PM on August 18, 2003
I just saw an interview with Busch team owner Jack Roush, a revered figure in NASCAR. He characterized the attack as an assault, which I don't argue with one bit. Spencer hit Busch off the course, and then punched him at least once (perhaps several times) before Busch could get out of his car. I also tried to find some evidence of Busch being a dirty driver, but there was only the well-document last-lap battle at Darlington. Maybe Spencer is nuts.
posted by wfrazerjr at 07:53 PM on August 18, 2003
I'm no NASCAR/Winston Cup Series expert (there's a difference there , but they seem to do the exact same thing), so I don't know the rules of the oval. But from the sound of Robby Gordon's comment, there is some hierarchal seniority on the track. How the hell does that work? I thought the only rules of the road were the right-of-way and the size of your cajones.
posted by garfield at 08:59 AM on August 19, 2003
How did I miss the news of that race at Darlington? Those photo-finish shots are incredible.
posted by rcade at 10:37 AM on August 19, 2003
Hehehehehehe... How come no one can take a punch in the face anymore? 3 months to heal? Reconstructive sugery? Why, I remember when that just meant you got punched in the face. Nothing my lawyers, Mr. Smith and Mr. Wesson can't handle. Yee ha!
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 12:19 PM on August 19, 2003
Ahh, the great convergence is finally upon us: NASCAR and pro wrestling.
posted by pitchblende at 02:20 PM on August 19, 2003
I also tried to find some evidence of Busch being a dirty driver Lots of the ill will has developed because Busch is both relatively inexperienced and at the same time quite aggressive. I remember more than one occasion where his driving has resulted in a DNF for a competing driver, thus affecting WC points standings. (Good lord, I can't believe I know that crap. You can take the boy out of the South, but you can't take the South out of the boy.)
posted by avogadro at 02:40 PM on August 19, 2003
Whoa. Busch is caught on tape admitting that he was trying to crash into Spencer. Dumbass. No wonder NASCAR is the new national pastime.
posted by worldcup2002 at 12:12 AM on August 20, 2003
If a few punches between drivers is enough to get the attention of police, what will they do in response to the intentional decision to collide with another driver -- in a sport where even a harmless looking crash can lead to a fatality (see also Earnhardt, Dale)?
posted by rcade at 07:02 AM on August 20, 2003
harmless looking crash ??? Have you even seen the tape? There is nothing harmless about banking a turn at 170 mph, losing control and running straight ahead into the retaining wall. The angle of impact let me know everything was NOT ok. Regarding the 'safety' issue, the 'whoa' link above has Spencer gently parking his car behind Busch's before Spencer precedes to pummel his mug: "Spencer pulled his No. 7 Dodge in behind Busch and got out of his car"
posted by garfield at 08:41 AM on August 20, 2003
See. That Spencer is a gentlemen. He stops nicely, gets out and then goes medieval on your ass. I can't say I blame him tho. With the new evidence, Spencer's going to walk away with little more than a slap on the wrist, and Busch is lucky if he avoids a charge of attempted assault with a deadly weapon. NASCAR risks a PR disaster otherwise. Or something like that.
posted by worldcup2002 at 10:05 AM on August 20, 2003
I'm not so sure. My hesitancy rests on 'flattening his bumper' sounding like a common practice. We all saw Days of Thunder, right? It's a brawl out there on the track. Kidding with the Cruise flick, but bumping, tapping, and all that good stuff is part of the game. Nudging someone COPS-style into a tail spin is a no-no, but lovetaps are commonplace. This guy's problem really is his mouth.
posted by garfield at 11:30 AM on August 20, 2003
Days of Thunder? Who's Cruise?
posted by worldcup2002 at 12:40 PM on August 20, 2003
Spencer, smoking a fat cigar and looking straight ahead, was driven away by his wife, Pat.