July 21, 2010
By Chuck Abrams
So the Sprint Cup Series took a week off and most drivers went and had some fun. Some more than others as evidenced on Saturday night.
On Saturday night at Gateway, the Nationwide Series featured a few Sprint Cup drivers that decided racing was more fun than sitting in the sun with a mai tai.
Kevin Harvick won the truck race and he looked pretty good in the Nationwide race until he decided to play tag with the wall. The wall won.
But the real fireworks were just getting started. Brad Keselowski wants to win the Nationwide title really bad. So bad that even I can taste it. His car was near perfect Saturday night and he was able to fend off most challengers, chief among them Carl Edwards.
Carl Edwards has not had all that great of a year in the Sprint Cup Series. But in the Nationwide Series, he has two wins and is second in points to Brad Keselowski. So winning at Gateway meant a lot to him as well.
Earlier in the night, Keselowski almost made it easy for Edwards, spinning out while trying to enter pit road. But he somehow managed to control the car through the grass and back on to the racing surface and continued into his pits. He raced back through the field to take the lead once again.
For the most part, Edwards and Keselowski ran a pretty clean race against each other. There was some side-by-side racing that was just good old hard racing. But as most fans probably felt, I know I did, there was more to come with these two given their recent history.
With Edwards in the lead on the final lap, Brad got up into Carl, caused him to wiggle and was able to drive past him for the lead.
Now, take note of this. When Brad got into Carl, it appeared to be a pure racing incident as they go. Brad wanted the position, and nudged Carl. But in doing so, he loosened himself up as well. He backed off just a bit to collect his own car BEFORE passing Edwards. His pass was clean and no further contact was made.
Until Edwards set him up on the final straightaway.
Carl closed to Brad's rear quarter panel and purposely spun him out in front of the flag stand, sending Keselowski hurtling into the outer wall, the inner wall and back on the track where he was broadsided in a vicious hit.
Edwards went on to capture the flag leaving a pile of wrecked cars behind him.
Unlike Atlanta where Brad was the only casualty of Edwards' hubris, Saturday night saw a lot of checkered flag carnage caused by said hubris.
Edwards is on record saying, "I just couldn't let him take the win from me...I'm sure some of them don't like that win -- Brad Keselowski fans and stuff -- but, man, I just couldn't let him take it from me. I had to do what I had to do."
Take note of this. After watching the replay over and over, it is clearly obvious to me that Edwards meant to spin out Keselowski. He not only got to his bumper, he employed the same move he used in Atlanta that landed him a three-race probation. Carl could have used his bumper and nudged Brad without wrecking half the field and nearly hurting Keselowski. Two hard hits into the wall and a nasty broadside could have seriously injured Keselowski or another driver.
Is that what Carl was there to do? Is that why his crew built such a great car for him?
I am all for on track action -- and rubbin' is racing after all. But Carl Edwards is a menace to his fellow competitors. His "aw shucks" attitude and smiling face grew old on me a few years ago and I wish the main NASCAR media would take Carl to task for his selfish and arrogant ways.
Carl will likely get another probation from NASCAR, maybe even a small fine. Maybe. NASCAR could also turn a blind eye to the whole mess. Had his reckless spin out wrecked only Keselowski, Carl might have gotten away with this. The fact that several cars were wrecked at the end of the race might just turn the tide on Carl.
On Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain, Kevin Harvick had this to say about the confrontation. "I know you're going for a win and everything is fine but hooking someone in the right-rear down the straightaway -- I probably wouldn't have reacted as kindly as Brad did. I probably would have walked down there and punched him in the mouth. I just think that's way, way out of bounds as far as hooking somebody in the middle of the straightaway."
Harvick has never been one to pull his punches, literally or figuratively, and has his own issues with arrogance. But Harvick has never had a series of run-ins with one driver over the course of less than a year that has led to such disdain. There is no smiling or back flipping your way out of this one Carl.
By the time you read this, NASCAR will have made some sort of announcement on what it will do with Carl Edwards. Whatever the discipline, let's hope we don't see a repeat of this at Indianapolis or at Talladega coming up later this fall. Sooner or later, someone is going to get hurt. I just hope it is something that will make Carl take a look in the mirror and see that he is no better than anyone else -- on the track or in the stands, before it is too late.
Let me know your thoughts.
Drive fast, turn left and keep the shiny side up.
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