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NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
CUP: Saturday Night Becomes Sunday Afternoon
Was the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Kobalt Tools 500 sport or a thrill show...
Jonathan Ingram  | http://www.RacinToday.com  |  Posted March 08, 2010   Hampton, GA
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Joey Logano was one of the innocent victims of Sunday's thrill show at Atlanta Motor Speedway. (Photo: Getty Images)

It might impugn the integrity of Saturday night short tracks to suggest events at the Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday seemed more minor league than major. But Carl Edwards’ single-minded pursuit of Brad Keselowski was reminiscent of a grudge match at the local speed drome.

Even at its finest, motor racing treads the ragged edge between sport and thrill show. Pardon the expression, but the flip side of this formula was on display when Edwards, at a speed approaching 200 mph, turned right into the rear bumper of Keselowski.

PHOTOS: EDWARDS-KESELOWSKI WRECK

We might have seen this coming in the Sprint Cup season finale last year in Homestead, where a similar mid-race grudge match between Juan Pablo Montoya and Tony Stewart was treated with kid gloves by NASCAR officials.

All the commotion in the Kobalt Tools 500 was quickly re-arranged by a brace of green-white-checkereds, which led to more crashing and all the excitement of three-ring Circus Maximus.

At least there was a chance for good humor when A.J. Allmendinger tweeted in that he had suffered a flat tire on the way home after leaving the scene of a fine sixth-place finish – and a race plagued by tire issues.

If Keselowski doesn’t flip as a result of the shove by Edwards, it’s entirely likely we all just welcome the beginning of the green-yellow-green-white-checkers and applaud an honest-to-goodness feud breaking out.

Was this better than watching Juan Pablo Montoya catch Kurt Busch, a classic duel that was interrupted by Edwards’ single-minded pursuit of Keselowski? Was Edwards’ conscious of the fact that if he wrecked a Penske driver it might put at risk the victory of another Penske driver in a green-white-checkered scenario? (As it was, one of Edwards’ Roush Fenway Racing teammates finished second to Busch.)

One doesn’t get the impression that Edwards was doing much thinking. Given his poise and brilliance in his first career victory at the Atlanta track in 2005, Sunday’s performance was at odds with previous performances. Alas, Edwards put himself in harm’s way when he was hit by Keselowski on lap 41. He expected an Alphonse-and-Gaston from an arch-rival?

Keselowski is beginning to remind this writer of the kind of driver who stirs things up like never before. He’s outspoken, passionate, uncompromising and extremely talented. Could Keselowski have dragged the brake a bit on that fateful lap 41 and let Edwards into line? Probably.

It’s clear that cars flipping in the air are dangerous for the drivers and fans. It’s also clear that the current version of the COT, when hit hard enough at fast enough speeds will lift off after getting spun, even when the roof flaps deploy.


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Jonathan Ingram

RacinToday.com

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