bigbadbrother
11-03-2014, 01:24 AM
AP
Three weeks ago at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Team Penske's Brad Keselowski had to hold off an angered Matt Kenseth between the haulers after the race.
That small scuffle paled in comparison to the post-race incident that followed Sunday's AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, when Jeff Gordon and his Hendrick Motorsports crew members swarmed the No. 2 car on pit road.
On the first attempt at a green-white-checkered restart, Keselowski had a big run in third and tried to split the middle of Gordon to the outside and Jimmie Johnson to the inside. As the trio headed into Turn 1, Keselowski made contact with Gordon, cutting the left rear tire of the No. 24 Chevrolet.
The contact sent Gordon spinning, bringing out the 13th caution of the day, and led to a 29th-place finish. Keselowski would continue on and finish the day third behind Johnson and Kevin Harvick.
After the race, Gordon pulled his car beside Keselowski's No. 2 Ford on pit road as crew members began to assemble expecting a confrontation.
Once out of the cars, Gordon barked at Keselowski as even more crew members began to push and shove, trying to stand up for their driver. As Gordon continued to get even more agitated, Harvick came up from behind Keselowski and appeared to push him toward Gordon.
The push was the spark that set off one of the most massive fights in recent memory. Punches were thrown on all sides, Keselowski, Gordon and crew members all got involved. Caught in the middle were a host of public relations people and media members.
Members of Paul Menard's Richard Childress Racing crew also got involved as they tried to separate the two teams from fighting.
In the end, both Keselowski and Gordon were bloodied, while Harvick simply walked away from it all.
"We were just racing for the win," said an out-of-breath Keselowski. "I didn't wreck him, just raced him hard. He left a hole. Everything you watch in racing, if you leave a hole you're supposed to go for it. It closed back up and we made contact. I don't want to ruin anyone's day. I wanted to win the race, and that was our opportunity. It just didn't come together."
This is certainly not the first time Keselowski has been surrounded with controversy for a post-race incident, something he credits to hard racing and determination.
"I've been through a lot of rivalries," he said. "I've got a little blood on me right now, I've been roughed up, put in the grandstands, wrecked, and done all that stuff, and I'm still here fighting. It's not going to change the way I race. I race with 100 percent intensity and race for the win. That's what our fans deserve in NASCAR."
"I'm too close to the fire to make those decisions," said Keselowski. "I do know it's my job to race 100 percent, and that's what I did today. I didn't wreck anyone, but I certainly raced hard. That's nothing to be ashamed of."
On the other side of the coin, Gordon walked away from the incident with a bloodied lip, was given a big hug from team owner Rick Hendrick, and had harsh words for the 2012 Sprint Cup champion.
"He's just a dip****," Gordon said of Keselowski. "The way he races, I don't know how he ever won a championship and I'm just sick and tired of him. That's why everybody's fighting him and running him down. Your emotions are high. That was a huge race for us. We had the car. We had the position. So proud of my team and I'm proud of Jimmie Johnson for winning that race and not letting that little you-know-what win that race. Oh my god."
This is not the first time Gordon has shown emotion after a race or on-track incident either, as he has had confrontations in the past with the likes of Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth and Jeff Burton. However, unlike those past confrontations, Gordon feels this one is different because Keselowski wants to walk to the beat of his own drum.
"It wasn't a conversation, because you can't have a conversation with him," Gordon said when describing the incident before punches were thrown. "He beats to his own drum, gets himself into this position by himself and he's got to pay for the consequences. I'm going to race him the same way he races me, but that kind of stuff is uncalled for and I'm not going to stand for it.
"To (NASCAR), I'm sure it's just a racing incident, but to me it's just a bunch of crap," said Gordon. "The kid is just doing stuff way over his head and that's just uncalled for. You're racing for the win and a championship, you don't go slam somebody and cut their left rear tire. If that what it takes, then we can do the same thing back to him."
The third party in that incident, Harvick also thought Keselowski was out of line in the closing laps.
"Obviously it was no-holds-barred there with the 2 (Keselowski), he was in bulldoze mode," said Harvick. "It's being played rough. It's just one of those deals where everybody's just trying to get all they can and you just do everything you can do to do the best for your team."
Involved in the post-race incident at Charlotte Motor Speedway with Keselowski, Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin did not mince words in his opinion of the Team Penske driver after watching what unfolded on pit road on TV monitors in the Sprint Cup garage.
"It's the same old story, I guess," said Hamlin. "Someone should probably notify Brad you can't be 'Bad Brad' if you're a dweeb, and he is. He's going to get beat up pretty bad one time. Maybe that will change him, maybe not. He'll take a punch."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=em7HUBH3m5c
Three weeks ago at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Team Penske's Brad Keselowski had to hold off an angered Matt Kenseth between the haulers after the race.
That small scuffle paled in comparison to the post-race incident that followed Sunday's AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, when Jeff Gordon and his Hendrick Motorsports crew members swarmed the No. 2 car on pit road.
On the first attempt at a green-white-checkered restart, Keselowski had a big run in third and tried to split the middle of Gordon to the outside and Jimmie Johnson to the inside. As the trio headed into Turn 1, Keselowski made contact with Gordon, cutting the left rear tire of the No. 24 Chevrolet.
The contact sent Gordon spinning, bringing out the 13th caution of the day, and led to a 29th-place finish. Keselowski would continue on and finish the day third behind Johnson and Kevin Harvick.
After the race, Gordon pulled his car beside Keselowski's No. 2 Ford on pit road as crew members began to assemble expecting a confrontation.
Once out of the cars, Gordon barked at Keselowski as even more crew members began to push and shove, trying to stand up for their driver. As Gordon continued to get even more agitated, Harvick came up from behind Keselowski and appeared to push him toward Gordon.
The push was the spark that set off one of the most massive fights in recent memory. Punches were thrown on all sides, Keselowski, Gordon and crew members all got involved. Caught in the middle were a host of public relations people and media members.
Members of Paul Menard's Richard Childress Racing crew also got involved as they tried to separate the two teams from fighting.
In the end, both Keselowski and Gordon were bloodied, while Harvick simply walked away from it all.
"We were just racing for the win," said an out-of-breath Keselowski. "I didn't wreck him, just raced him hard. He left a hole. Everything you watch in racing, if you leave a hole you're supposed to go for it. It closed back up and we made contact. I don't want to ruin anyone's day. I wanted to win the race, and that was our opportunity. It just didn't come together."
This is certainly not the first time Keselowski has been surrounded with controversy for a post-race incident, something he credits to hard racing and determination.
"I've been through a lot of rivalries," he said. "I've got a little blood on me right now, I've been roughed up, put in the grandstands, wrecked, and done all that stuff, and I'm still here fighting. It's not going to change the way I race. I race with 100 percent intensity and race for the win. That's what our fans deserve in NASCAR."
"I'm too close to the fire to make those decisions," said Keselowski. "I do know it's my job to race 100 percent, and that's what I did today. I didn't wreck anyone, but I certainly raced hard. That's nothing to be ashamed of."
On the other side of the coin, Gordon walked away from the incident with a bloodied lip, was given a big hug from team owner Rick Hendrick, and had harsh words for the 2012 Sprint Cup champion.
"He's just a dip****," Gordon said of Keselowski. "The way he races, I don't know how he ever won a championship and I'm just sick and tired of him. That's why everybody's fighting him and running him down. Your emotions are high. That was a huge race for us. We had the car. We had the position. So proud of my team and I'm proud of Jimmie Johnson for winning that race and not letting that little you-know-what win that race. Oh my god."
This is not the first time Gordon has shown emotion after a race or on-track incident either, as he has had confrontations in the past with the likes of Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth and Jeff Burton. However, unlike those past confrontations, Gordon feels this one is different because Keselowski wants to walk to the beat of his own drum.
"It wasn't a conversation, because you can't have a conversation with him," Gordon said when describing the incident before punches were thrown. "He beats to his own drum, gets himself into this position by himself and he's got to pay for the consequences. I'm going to race him the same way he races me, but that kind of stuff is uncalled for and I'm not going to stand for it.
"To (NASCAR), I'm sure it's just a racing incident, but to me it's just a bunch of crap," said Gordon. "The kid is just doing stuff way over his head and that's just uncalled for. You're racing for the win and a championship, you don't go slam somebody and cut their left rear tire. If that what it takes, then we can do the same thing back to him."
The third party in that incident, Harvick also thought Keselowski was out of line in the closing laps.
"Obviously it was no-holds-barred there with the 2 (Keselowski), he was in bulldoze mode," said Harvick. "It's being played rough. It's just one of those deals where everybody's just trying to get all they can and you just do everything you can do to do the best for your team."
Involved in the post-race incident at Charlotte Motor Speedway with Keselowski, Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin did not mince words in his opinion of the Team Penske driver after watching what unfolded on pit road on TV monitors in the Sprint Cup garage.
"It's the same old story, I guess," said Hamlin. "Someone should probably notify Brad you can't be 'Bad Brad' if you're a dweeb, and he is. He's going to get beat up pretty bad one time. Maybe that will change him, maybe not. He'll take a punch."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=em7HUBH3m5c