Catchfence

Others Don’t Want to Be Innocent Victims of On-Track Revenge

Huntersville, N.C. (November 18, 2009) – The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series will crown their champions this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, and, barring disaster, Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch will be the ones spraying the champagne. With the championships not providing much suspense going into the final race weekend, many fans and media are more caught up in the drama of the feud between drivers Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski and how it could play out in Homestead.

Is this attention good for the sport? And how tough is it for NASCAR? Drivers Bobby Labonte, John Andretti and Alli Owens comment:

Bobby Labonte, Driver No. 71 TRG Motorsports Chevrolet and President of Breaking Limits:

“At any given race, there’s probably somebody who wants to get back at somebody else. That’s just the nature of racing. Guys like myself have seen it time and time again. You learn throughout the years that you are going to have your ups and downs on the track and the same with different drivers. You just race everyone with respect.

“But, of course, not everyone takes the high road. And I understand that when NASCAR sees a pattern of behavior over a period of time, they feel like they need to step in. And that’s a good thing for the rest of us out there, because the last thing you want is to be taken out as a result of someone else’s fight, just being an innocent victim.”

John Andretti, Driver, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Chevrolet:

“Speaking from experience (laughing), I think NASCAR has a tough job. You want to know that guys can work things out on their own and that there doesn’t need to be disciplinary action. But if things get to too far of an extreme, you’ll get guys who tear up race cars and spend the owner’s money. Sometimes it becomes a matter of principle where you think your reputation is on the line. You say, ‘I’m not going to take that’ or ‘I owe him back and need to get even’ and it becomes an all out war. There is no way to win at that point, but it can become entertaining watching it.

“I’ve been in the situation where you feel like someone takes you out intentionally. You can tell the difference and therefore you retaliate. It may not be that race. It may be five races down the road, or 10 or next season. But when it keeps going back and forth, it’s not good. NASCAR usually waits for it to resolve itself, which they should. When it gets out of hand, though, that’s when they step in.”

Alli Owens, Driver, ElectrifyingCareers.com Toyota (ARCA RE/MAX Series):

“I think a sanctioning body needs to step in as a last resort. Usually a feud will resolve itself, but when it escalates to the point that a car is getting wrecked each week, it’s time for someone to step in. It’s not fair for the rest of the field to pay the price for other drivers’ tempers.

“Usually it won’t take long for a driver to figure out that it’s not worth it to hold a grudge. If you take an accident personally and pay someone back, it will come back to haunt you at the next race. If you keep it up, you’ll get taken out of contention at a few events. That makes your crew, sponsors and competitors lose respect for you. That’s the last thing a driver wants, so feuds usually don’t last long. But if it continues for a few races, that’s when the officials need to get involved.”

- Breaking Limits Marketing, Press Release