NASCAR drivers Jeff Gordon and Brad Keselowski "made contact on the track" yesterday at Texas Motor Speedway that knocked Gordon out of contention for the win, and once the AAA Texas 500 "was over, the two drivers got swept up into an all-out brawl on pit road," according to Jim Utter of the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER. There were "more punches thrown by crew members -- some by teams not connected to the drivers involved -- than by drivers but both Gordon and Keselowski were left bloodied in the aftermath." Neither driver "struck the other." Driver Kevin Harvick "seemed to instigate some of the action when he shoved Keselowski toward Gordon which extended the confrontation." The fight "comes on the heels of Keselowski being involved in multiple disputes with drivers following the race at Charlotte on Oct 11." NASCAR VP/Competition Robin Pemberton said that "throwing punches was 'over the line' and that NASCAR would take action against those it could identify from Sunday" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 11/3). In Ft. Worth, Drew Davison notes Gordon following the race "furiously went down pit road, creating his own lane en route to Keselowski," who "tried to keep a safe distance." However, Harvick "pushed Keselowski into the middle and Gordon lunged at him." Keselowski "went to the ground at one point, and each driver had noticeable cuts on their face during post-race interviews." Davison notes the "intensity and emotions are at an all-time high for the drivers under this new Chase format," and NASCAR "craved these types of moments in changing the Chase format." But Pemberton said, "You shouldn’t punch somebody" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 11/3).
GOING TO HIS HAPPY PLACE: In Ft. Worth, John Henry notes Keselowski in the closing laps of the race "shot through a gap between eventual race champion Jimmie Johnson and Gordon, cutting Gordon’s left tire." Harvick "wasn’t willing to endorse that maneuver but said the Chase format encourages hard racing because of how crucial winning is now." Harvick: “There are no rules. As it gets closer to the end, the intensity ratchets up. Everybody’s going for broke trying to win a race, get the best finish they can. It’s hard racing. It’s fun.” Henry notes it also "promotes the types of post-race confrontations Harvick seems to relish." Keselowski said, “I came here to race, not to fight. Kevin likes to fight for some reason" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 11/3). Harvick added, "If you're going to race like that, you're going to have to man up at some point. I didn't get in the middle of anything. I just turned him around and told him to go fight his own fight" (AP, 11/2).
EMOTIONS BOILING OVER: ESPN’s Jamie Little said emotions are "boiling over" in the garage and she has "never seen intensity like this." Little: "Every championship you have intensity -- you have guys mad at each other, you have them pushing and yelling and all that. But I can honestly say in 14 years of covering motorsports of all different kinds, that was the biggest fight I have ever seen. I have never interviewed a driver with blood coming off of his face. That is what this Chase format has done" (
"SportsCenter,” ESPN, 11/3).
Fox' Larry McReynolds said, "I've been in NASCAR almost 35 years and I've never seen the intensity like we’re seeing right now” (
“Fox Sports Live,” FS1, 11/2).
In Charlotte, Scott Fowler writes the "'win or else' mentality that has pervaded this Chase is happening because that is the only way to assure advancement into the next round." Fowler: "It works better than any previous incarnation of the Chase" (
CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.com, 11/3).
GETTING NATIONAL ATTENTION: This morning's edition of ABC's "GMA" in its opening teased the Gordon-Keselowski fight, calling it the "Wild Brawl." ABC then aired a nearly three-minute report from ABC's Ryan Smith six minutes into the broadcast. Smith said while Johnson got the victory, it is "this brawl after the race that's got everyone talking" this morning. Keselowski is "becoming known as somewhat of a bad boy in NASCAR circles" ("GMA," ABC, 11/3). NBC's "Today" first reported on the brawl about 17 minutes into its broadcast with a short news brief on the incident. NBC's Natalie Morales called it a "free-for-all" and added, "Pretty sad to see that there. Keep it on the track, guys, in the cars." NBC's Savannah Guthrie said it is like they "play ice hockey" ("Today," NBC, 11/3). "CBS This Morning" mentioned the incident in its opening segment, which touched on the various news of the day, then aired a quick report about 51 minutes into its broadcast. CBS' Gayle King said, "Jeff Gordon is always such a mellow guy. I'm thinking the two of those guys won’t be going to dinner anytime soon and I think now they're both in trouble" ("CBS This Morning," CBS, 11/3). SPORTING NEWS' Jeff Owens writes NASCAR "loves this kind of drama," as it is "what it had in mind when it created the new Chase." Owens: "Two of the last four Chase races have ended with a brawl in the garage. That kind of stuff might give the sport a bit of a black eye, but it’s exciting, gets people talking and raises interest in the sport. That’s what NASCAR wants and what the sport needs" (SPORTINGNEWS.com, 11/3).
SIX-TIME SPEAKS OUT: Johnson on Friday said the new Chase format has "seemed bizarre since the onset." But he added, "I, though, feel that I need to take a different approach and think of it differently and think of what is good for the sport. This is really being put back in the fans' hands. At the end of the day, if there are more people tuning in and watching, we are creating the drama, sponsorship is in the sport, then it is what we need to do." He added, "I understand that from an economic standpoint (that) tracks, NASCAR, the race teams for sure, are in a bind and we are in a tough situation. So we need to make some changes. This is the decision they made and we have certainly seen the drama. It seems like attendance is going in the right way, ad buys are going the right way and TV viewership is up." Johnson: "Is it what we all as racers think should happen and is it the best way to go about, falling back on the history of our sport in determining a champion? No, but we have to pay attention to who is sitting out in the stands, in my opinion" (AP, 10/31). Meanwhile, the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER's Utter noted many of the tracks hosting Chase races "have seen increased ticket sales over last year." TMS "appears to be headed in that direction as well" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 11/2).
