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NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
SPENCER: Best Bristol Fights
We’ve probably seen more confrontations, skirmishes and all-out fights at Bristol than any other track on the NASCAR circuit...
Jimmy Spencer  |  Posted August 19, 2009   Charlotte, NC
Jimmy Spencer calls it like he sees it on SPEED. (Photo: SPEED)
There’s just something about racing under the lights at Bristol Motor Speedway on a sweltering August night that brings out the caged animal in many drivers.

Like any great three-ring circus, Bristol showcases the best and the worst in these guys. Tempers flare the entire 500 laps, probably aggravated by the heat and high speeds on the high-banked half-mile oval that is so conducive to accidents and inadvertent “bumps” that morph into so much more.

We’ve probably seen more confrontations, skirmishes and all-out fights at Bristol than any other track on the NASCAR circuit.

Here are some of my favorites:

Dale Earnhardt/Rusty Wallace: One of the more infamous Bristol skirmishes took place in 1995 between two of the sport’s most renowned champions. Dale Earnhardt Sr. spun out leader Rusty Wallace early in the evening and went on to win the race. As expected, Wallace angrily confronted him afterward amidst a sea of crew members and NASCAR officials who attempted to pull them apart. There was a lot of “in-your-face” arguing and Wallace yelled at Earnhardt, who just flashed his trademark mustached grin. Earnhardt’s downplaying of the situation was enough to enrage Wallace, who hurled a plastic water bottle at “The Intimidator” that bounced off his nose. Priceless.

Kevin Harvick/Greg Biffle: Kevin Harvick and Greg Biffle took the off-track battle to a new level in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in March 2002. I finished fourth in this race, so I had a bird’s eye view of the melee as it broke out on pit road and remember Harvick storming over to greet Biffle as he climbed from his car after finishing fifth to Harvick’s 24th.
I was doing my post-race media interview and suddenly the crowd reaction was deafening – 160,000 fans can make some noise – and I knew something big was unfolding. I looked up just in time to see Harvick slide across Biffle’s car like something out of “Dukes of Hazzard” and grab him by the neck. They went back and forth yelling for a while. I was just happy to sit there and egg them on, saying, “Punch him! Punch him!”

Jeff Gordon/Matt Kenseth: You know Bristol brings out the worst in people when two of the sport’s calmest and most mellow drivers, Matt Kenseth and Jeff Gordon, resort to physical violence. Remember Kenseth walking up to Gordon after the race to discuss what had transpired on the track, only to be shoved hard by the four-time champion? I was shocked by that one but then again, that’s just Bristol.

Dale Earnhardt/Terry Labonte: One of my most memorable Bristol moments was in 1999 when Earnhardt stayed out on the track and Terry Labonte, Ricky Rudd and I pitted for tires with about 10 laps remaining. When the green flag waved, Labonte worked on Earnhardt and finally squeaked past him on the white flag lap, but as he did, Earnhardt put the “cage rattling”’ move on Labonte and spun him out, going on to win the race.

Although no pushing, shoving or wrestling ensued, that incident was vintage Bristol. If you’ve never stood down inside the cereal bowl and looked up at the 160,000 seats full of screaming fans, it’s hard to visualize how emotionally-charged the atmosphere can be and why these drivers might do some of the things they do during this race. This close-quarters environment only fuels the hair-trigger tempers, much like football players feed off the emotion of fans in the bleachers.

This weekend would be an opportune time for NASCAR to have a little skirmish or confrontation off the track. Interest in the sport has waned a little bit for a variety of reasons and we could use some in-your-face altercations between two irate drivers. Bristol is somewhat of a “venting” arena, a place to get it all out of your system, and these incidents are almost inherent to the track.

But who actually lets their emotions get the best of them might depend a bit on where they sit in the points. The Chase contenders from about seventh to 15th in points must play it smart, not only on the track but off the track, as well. Or what if someone with no shot at the Chase ends up taking a Chaser out? That type of scenario will be anticipated the entire night. While I don’t want to see a Chaser taken out by a non-Chaser, I welcome the opportunity to see tempers flare and personalities shine. NASCAR could use a little emotion and a few charged-up drivers to inject a little enthusiasm back into the sport.

After all, if you’ve raced at Bristol, you’ve been pissed at someone, and if you weren’t, then you never gave it your all.

The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEEDtv.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or Speed Channel

Jimmy Spencer calls it like he sees it as an analyst on NASCAR RaceDay and NASCAR Victory Lane on SPEED. He retired from driving with two NASCAR Sprint Cup, 12 NASCAR Nationwide and one NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory, putting him in an elite group of drivers who have logged wins in all three of NASCAR’s premier divisions. In 478 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts, Spencer amassed 28 top-five and 80 top-10 finishes. He won back-to-back NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championships in 1986 and 1987 on the heels of 15 victories, becoming the first driver ever to earn consecutive titles in the series. He earned the nickname “Mr. Excitement” for his flamboyant and aggressive driving style early in his racing career.
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