Memorable NASCAR Brawls

SI Staff | Apr 28, 2014

Memorable NASCAR Brawls /

Memorable NASCAR Brawls

Casey Mears, center, and Marcos Ambrose, right (pictured here during happier times), got into an altercation April 25 in Richmond, during which Ambrose punched Mears in the eye. "He got me pretty good with that shot," Mears told NASCAR.com the next day, sporting sunglasses to hide the badly bruised and swollen eye. Replays of the incident show Mears and Ambrose talking just after the race ended. The situation escalated when Mears forcefully shoved Ambrose. The driver of the No. 9 Ford then returned with a right hook to Mears' face. Here are some more of NASCAR'S memorable dustups and feuds.

Taking exception to being blocked after the final restart of the 2013 Auto Club 400 in Fontana, Calif., Tony Stewart (who finished 22nd) confronted Joey Logano on pit road after the race. A water bottle (Logano's) and words flew. "He is a tough guy on pit road as soon as one of his crew guys gets in the middle of it,'' Stewart said. "Until then he's a scared little kid. Then he wants to sit there and throw a water bottle at me. He is going to learn a lesson."

logano-hamlin.bristol.jpg — Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

After some contact during the 2013 Food City 500 at Bristol, Logano paid a visit to former Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Hamlin on pit road and had to be restrained by JGR crew members. Logano's Penske crew soon joined the fray, which later continued on Twitter: "Hey @dennyhamlin great job protecting that genius brain of yours by keeping your helmet on," Logano tweeted. Hamlin's response: "Why's that ... what would u do?" "Show you some love and appreciation," Logano replied. "Need my address?" Hamlin asked. "Last time I checked he had my cell and direct message button to choose from if he's got a problem ... Otherwise hush little child" The two drivers renewed their battle a week later in the Auto Club 400, making contact and wrecking on the final lap. Hamlin ended up in the hospital.

A season's worth of tension and conflict came to a head in Phoenix in November 2012 when Bowyer (15) and Gordon collided with seven laps to go. Gordon hit the wall but he had enough time to recover and retaliate by wrecking Bowyer three laps later, eliminating him from Cup contention. Gordon was jumped by Bowyer's crew behind pit road after he climbed out of his car. A wild brawl ensued that police and NASCAR officials had to break up. Both drivers were called on the carpet as guards stood watch outside. Gordon was fined $100,000 and docked 25 points. Bowyer's crew chief, Brian Pattie, found that his wallet was $25,000 lighter and he was placed on six weeks' probation. You can watch this stark human drama unfold HERE

In August 2012, the two drivers were fighting for the lead at Bristol with calamity lurking for most of a lap when they finally collided and hit the wall.After they came to a stop, a furious Stewart climbed out and heaved his helmet at Kenseth's car as it drove off. "I'm going to run over him every chance I get for the rest of the year," Stewart groused. You can watch the video HERE

Matthew Stockman;Jerry Markland/Getty Images

After a late-race crash knocked both drivers from contention in the 2011 Southern 500, Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch squared off on pit road. Harvick hopped out of his car and ran toward the No. 18, ultimately throwing a punch through the window. Busch quickly sped off, bumping into Harvick's unmanned car in the process.

Tempers flared between Ryan Newman and Joey Logano following an Aug. 15, 2010 race at Michigan. Logano's No. 20 wiggled, careening into Newman's left rear quarterpanel and spinning him out. The two confronted each other after the race, with Newman shoving Logano before track officials broke up the altercation.

In one of NASCAR's most unexpected spats, veteran racers Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton brawled after a November 2010 wreck at Texas Motor Speedway. The two became entangled under caution on lap 192, and Gordon's No. 24 Chevy was pushed into the wall. Infuriated, Gordon walked over to Burton and the two began an on-track shoving match along the Turn 2 wall.

Kevin Harvick spun out Joey Logano during the second-to-last lap of the Gillette Fusion ProGlide 500 in June 2010. That didn't go over so well for "Sliced Bread" or his father. Logano and Harvick went jab for verbal jab with one another, with the most memorable comment coming from Logano: "It's probably not [Harvick's] fault. His wife wears the firesuit in the family and tells him what to do, so it's probably not his fault."

Denny Hamlin angrily confronted Nationwide driver Brad Keselowski after his car was spun out at Dover in September 2009. Furious, Hamlin shoved Keselowski and the skirmish continued until crew chief Tony Eury Jr. intervened. This bout had roots in 2008 incident during a Nationwide Race at Lowe's Motor Speedway in which their crews had scuffled. "You throw a rock, I'm going to throw a concrete block," Hamlin threatened.

Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR; Al Bello/Getty Images

NASCAR doled out dual six-race probations to Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch after they used their cars as battering rams during practice for the 2008 Budweiser Shootout. Whether Stewart threw a punch at Busch while both were being admonished in the NASCAR trailer has never been confirmed.

The carryover from an Oct. 5, 2008 incident at Talladega found Carl Edwards and Kevin Harvick in a shoving match three days later in the garage at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Chris Trotman/Getty Images for NASCAR, Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR

Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth got into it after a 2006 race at Bristol. Kenseth spun out Gordon during the final lap of the race, sending him to a 21st-place finish. When the two left the track, Gordon confronted Kenseth and angrily shoved him before being escorted away. Gordon would later spin out Kenseth while the driver was in line for a victory at Chicagoland.

After a late-race dustup in 2004 left Kasey Kahne with a 36th-place finish and Tony Stewart in Victory Lane, both drivers' crews fought it out on pit row.

After sending Kevin Harvick into the wall during the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 in 2003, Ricky Rudd was confronted by Harvick and the two began to argue. The yelling soon escalated as Harvick allegedly threw his HANS device at Rudd and jackman Mike Scearce jumped on the hood of Rudd's car.

A feud between Kevin Harvick and Greg Biffle came to a head when the two brawled on pit road after a boot from Biffle sent Harvick into the wall at Bristol in 2002. Harvick infamously called Biffle an idiot for his actions on the track.

Mike Powell /Allsport; Jim Gund/Getty Images

Involving at least 25 people, the fight between Rusty Wallace and Darrell Waltrip was one of the most storied of 1980s NASCAR. When all was said and done, Waltrip famously said of Wallace's Winston victory, "I hope he chokes on the $200,000, that's all I can tell him. He knocked the hell out of me." (Send comments to siwriters@simail.com.)

The 1979 Daytona 500 played host to one of NASCAR's most memorable brawls as Cale Yarborough and Bobby and Donnie Allison tangled in the sport's first 500-mile race to be televised live in its entirety.

Published Apr 28, 2014

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