NASCAR is an acronym for National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. It's a sanctioning body that oversees different racing types in America. The top series are the Sprint Cup Series, the Nationwide Series and the Camping World Truck Series. However, when most people think of NASCAR, they refer to the Sprint Cup Series. This is where you can find crazy cars that produce over 850 hp and can reach speeds over 180 mph.
Modern NASCAR cars aren't those pointy-nosed race cars that run the IndyCar series. These vehicles are built from the ground up as racing beasts. The currently eligible cars include the Toyota Camry, Dodge Charger, Ford Fusion and the Chevrolet Impala. They have fenders to allow side-to-side contact between cars. Some of the biggest names in NASCAR include Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Tony Stewart. Here are 15 times things got heated between NASCAR drivers.
15 Jeff Gordon And Matt Kenseth
It began with 5 laps to go with Matt Kenseth leading Kurt Busch. With 2 laps to go, Jeff Gordon got Matt Kenseth loose exiting turn 4. Kenseth returned the favor and sent Gordon into a spin. He exited his car with a helmet on and gave Kenseth a hard shove.
14 Robby Gordon And Tony Stewart
Robby Gordon and Tony Stewart were racing and wrestling in Daytona 500 practice. Two drivers got into a shoving match while Home Depot pit crew members were trying to separate them. Tony Stewart tapped the left rear of Robby Gordon's car as he was trying to pass Stewart in the backstretch.
13 Jeff Gordon And Jeff Burton
Under the caution for other driver's wrecking, Jeff Burton made contract with Jeff Gordon and caused them both to wreck. Gordon was extremely angry about the whole situation and got out of his car to throw some punches at Burton. Burton said he didn't want to hit Gordon's car.
12 Todd Bodine's Crew And David Starr
This incident happened in 2008 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. David Starr wrecked 3 trucks, all in separate incidents. The third truck belonged to Todd Bodine. After the race, he and his crew got side by side with Starr to let him know how much they hate what had happened on the track.
11 Denny Hamlin And Crew Vs. Brad Keselowski And Crew
Brad Keselowski jacked the rear of the Denny Hamlin's car before pulling up beside him. However, Denny Hamlin door-slammed Keselowski and ruined his fender. When both made it to pit road, their crews were ready to throw down. This was the beginning of one of the most interesting rivalries in recent memory.
10 Kevin Harvick And Juan Montoya
In 2007, NASCAR starts Kevin Harvick and Juan Montoya got into a fight after a crash on the track. On lap 72, Juan Montoya got bumped and collided with Kevin Harvick, sending both cars spinning. Not surprisingly, they didn't take kindly to the accident, and many heated words got exchanged.
9 Michael Waltrip And Lake Speed
Michael Waltrip felt that Lake Speed didn't give him enough room on the race track. Waltrip parked in front of Speed and hopped out of his car. Michael Waltrip hit Lake Speed twice on national television, while Speed was strapped in his car. Michael Waltrip was fined $10K for his actions.
8 Kurt Busch And Jimmy Spencer
What happened was "Spencer, driving the No. 7 Dodge, was minding his own business when Busch’s No. 97 pulled up beside him and bumped him a couple of times. It seemed innocuous, until Busch exhibited a poor lack in judgment by admitting he was trying to flatten Spencer’s fender in hopes of cutting his tire."
7 Robby Gordon And Michael Waltrip
It was the year of 2005 when Robby Gordon and Michael Waltrip became the faces of NASCAR. During the Sylvania 300, Michael Waltrip ran into the back of Gordon's car coming off turn two. The hard contact sent Robby Gordon into the backstretch wall. Then he attempted to back his car into Waltrip's.
6 Tony Stewart And Joey Logano
Tony Stewart, the Stewart-Haas Racing team co-owner, scuffled with Joey Logano at the 2013 Auto Club 400, which is one of his most memorable outbursts. Both drivers exchanged some harsh words and a few shoves. Then their crew members separated them. During the post-race altercation, Logano threw a water bottle at Stewart.
5 Kevin Harvick And Greg Biffle
During the race, Kevin Harvick and Greg Biffle were competing for a position. Greg Biffle got into Kevin Harvick's side and sent him crashing into the wall. Harvick then announced that he would be waiting for Biffle when the race was over. Then he parked his car and confronted Biffle.
4 Tony Stewart And Brian Vickers
While Brian Vickers tried to avoid contact with Kyle Busch, Tony Stewart was glued to Vicker's bumper and turned him around. Then Brian Vickers turned Stewart heading into the hairpin, launching his car on top of the barrier. Stewart spent a lot of time in the garage while Vickers carried on with the race.
3 Kyle Busch And Kevin Harvick
Busch and Harvick made contact. Busch used this opportunity to show his displeasure with Harvick and sent him into the wall. When the race was over, Harvick followed Busch onto pit road. Harvick parked in front of Busch trying to throw a punch. Busch accelerated the car and sent the Harvick's car into the wall.
2 Kevin Harvick And Ricky Rudd
This was a tense situation: "Ricky Rudd knocked Harvick askew, and he went straight into the wall. Understandably, he was angry for the right reasons as his title hopes were derailed. He sped onto pit road and bumped into the No. 21 of Rudd before both crews tried to keep the drivers in check."
1 Joey Logano And Matt Kenseth
Just a few races before the big incident, Logano spun Kenseth out of the lead for his win. Kenseth planted Logano into the wall, ruining his title hopes. Peers loved it, fans loved it and even some announcers loved it. Logano was angry, but he was in violation of racer's code of ethics.