Nationwide Pole Report: Justin Allgaier Takes Control at Gateway

How do you prove to team owners and different sponsors you are worth the money?  You win the pole at Gateway International Speedway, Justin Allgaier who drivers the No. 12 Verizon Wireless Dodge did just that today with a lap of 33.301 (135.131 mph.).  To finish the front row you have Colin Braun driving the No. 98 MasterCraft Doors / Menards Ford with a lap -0.012 behind the leader. 

What should we be watching out for in today’s race?  I think the new face in Brandon McReynolds is the one to watch out for driving the No. 42 GtMrVctns.cm/Adptv One NAPA Brks Dodge starting 25th on the grid on his first ever Nationwide Series race. 

For all of the racing action from Gateway International Speedway you can catch it all on ESPN 2 starting at 3 p.m. EST! 

1. Justin Allgaier
2. Colin Braun
3. Matt DiBenedetto
4. Mike Bliss
5. Sean Caisse
6. Josh Wise
7. Steven Wallace
8. Trevor Bayne
9. Brad Sweet
10. Reed Sorensen
11. Erik Darnell
12. Brad Coleman
13. Drew Herring
14. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
15. Brian Scott
16. Brendan Gaughn
17. Danny O’Quinn Jr.
18. Ryan Truex
19. Kenny Wallace
20. Parker Kligerman
21. Shelby Howard
22. Kevin Lepage
23. Chase Miller
24. Jeremy Clements
25. Brandon McReynolds
26. Jason Leffler
27. Michael Annett
28. Brian Keselowski
29. Jeff Green
30. Carl Long
31. Joe Nemechek
32. Scott Wimmer
33. Kevin Hamlin
34. Antonio Perez
35. Tim Andrews
36. Johnny Chapman
37. Bobby Santos III
38. Tony Raines
39. Morgan Shepherd
40. Mike Wallace
41. Danica Patrick
42. Peyton Sellers
43. Andy Ponstein

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Dover Motorsports Declines 2011 NASCAR Events at Gateway International Raceway

July 28, 2010 - Dover Motorsports, Inc. (NYSE: DVD) announced today that its wholly owned subsidiary, Gateway International Raceway has notified NASCAR that it will not seek 2011 sanctions for its two Nationwide Series and one Camping World Truck Series races.

Vice President and General Manager of Gateway, Terry Harmeson stated, “This was a difficult decision in light of the many years of earnest and continued efforts on everyone’s part to develop a viable market for these events in one of our nation’s greatest cities. We remain committed to fulfill the balance of our 2010 schedule including our October 23rd NASCAR Nationwide race which will provide our fans the opportunity to see Danica Patrick compete here for the first time. We also plan to explore various ways to change the economics at Gateway both from the revenue and expense side.”

 Denis McGlynn, President & CEO of Dover Motorsports, stated, “We have a group of extremely dedicated and talented employees who make Gateway a great destination and we deeply appreciate all the support we have had from the racing community over the years – from racing fans and drivers to sponsors, team owners and sanctioning bodies. However, economics dictate that we evaluate all of our options for this facility, including its possible sale.”

Gateway International Raceway is owned by Dover Motorsports, Inc. (NYSE: DVD), a leading promoter of motorsports events in the United States. DVD subsidiaries operate three tracks in three states, and present several hundred motorsports events each year. This includes 14 major, national events which include races sanctioned by NASCAR and the NHRA. Dover Motorsports, Inc. also owns and operates Dover International Speedway in Dover, Del., and Nashville Superspeedway near Nashville, Tenn. For further information log on to www.DoverMotorsports.com. This release may contain forward-looking statements based on management’s beliefs and assumptions. Such statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause results to vary materially. Please refer to the SEC filings of DVD for a discussion of such factors.

Photo Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images

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Guest Post (Barbara Nixon) - Checked Off My Bucket List: Riding in a Pace Car During a NASCAR Race

If you are a NASCAR fan on Twitter you may be familiar with Barbara Nixon (@BarbaraNixon). Barbara recently marked off an event from her bucket list that many of us have only dreamed about. Today Barbara shares her story with our readers. This post originally appeared on her own blog Public Relations Matters and has been republished with her permission – Thanks for sharing with us Barbara

One day in February, not long after my husband Kevin and I went to the Pothole Daytona 500, I tweeted that one of the things on my bucket list was to ride in a pace car during a NASCAR race.

I wrote it not thinking I’d get much of a response other than maybe a “me, too” from another NASCAR fan. But was I ever surprised when Brandon Mudd, the Public Relations and Media Manager for Gateway Raceway, replied to me a few minutes later.

My first reaction was, “Yeah, right.” Then after a few Twitter, LinkedIn and e-mail interchanges, I realized that this was actually going to happen. All I had to do was get myself (and my hubby) to St. Louis the weekend of July 16 & 17.

Gateway Raceway provided my husband Kevin and me with Hot Pit / Garage / Media Center passes, along with passes to Victory Circle, and even Infield Parking. If you’re not a NASCAR fan this is what it means:

• Hot Pit Passes: We were able to stay in the pit area (where the car & truck teams are during the race) before and through the entire race, meeting as many drivers and teams as we wanted to. We just had to be sure to stay out of their way when they were working.
• Garage: We could see what the teams were doing to get the cars & trucks set up for the races.
• Media Center: We had a place to cool off and relax a bit. The temps were into the 100s, and it was 135 for a while on pit road.
• Victory Circle: Before and after the races, we stood in the Victory Circle area. I was able to get a lot of great pictures of drivers chatting with each other before the driver intros, and I was right there as Kevin Harvick drove up his winning truck for the CampingWorld.com 200 race. We even got to see the infamous Hat Dance.
• Infield Parking: This made it easy for us to go back to our car as needed to cool off and get refreshments. For a while, we even turned the car around so it was facing the track, and watched parts both races from the air-conditioned comfort of our cars.

On Friday afternoon, we arrived at the track and milled around in the pits and garage area for a few hours before the scheduled start of the CampingWorld.com 200 NASCAR Truck race. As it came time for the pre-race festivities to start, I noticed some pulled-aside conversations going on in Victory Circle. The power had just gone out (momentarily, we thought). It was still daylight, and the loudspeakers worked via generator, so most of the pre-race could happen planned, while we waited for the power to kick back on.

They did the driver intros, which was fun to watch from behind the scenes as the drivers chatted with and teased each other as they waited their turn to be introduced in qualifying order.

Then it was time for the National Anthem. Lincoln Brewster, lead singer and guitarist for a Christian band, prepared to play the song. But there was no power for his electric guitar. He was urged to just sing it a capella, like it’s usually done . . . but he admitted he didn’t know all the words! Yikes. So then it was time to watch Brandon and his team scramble around to find someone who — with no notice or practice — could and would sing the National Anthem before a NASCAR race, on national television. (I would have volunteered, but I think my hubby of almost 25 years would have walked out on me if I did. And if you heard my singing voice, you’d have turned the channel quickly, too!)

All of a sudden, NASCAR’s Jimmy Small volunteered to sing it. Whew! Crisis avoided. Jimmy approached the stage . . . then the power came back on enough for Lincoln Brewster to go ahead with his Jimi Hendrix-inspired rendition of the National Anthem.

And the power stayed off. As it turns out, there was a major power problem offsite. Brandon wrote and distributed a news release from the Media Center with the details. I just happened to peek through the window as he was writing.

From Our NASCAR Weekend at Gateway Raceway 

The truck race was delayed until Saturday at 12:30 . . . which meant that the nice, coolish evening race we had planned for was now going to be a part of a LONG double-header day of racing on Saturday.


We went back to the hotel to cool down, then headed back to the track on Saturday morning after a fantastic breakfast of the best corned beef hash I’ve ever had at Crepes, Etc. We made a quick stop for supplies, including some Baskin and Robins hard candy for Tati Papis, who had recently lamented on Twitter that the ice cream lady at the track was nowhere to be found.

Our first stop when we got back to the track was at Max Papis‘ hauler. I think I surprised Max when I introduced myself to him (trying not to sound like a fangirl!), but then asked for him to see if his wife Tati would come out. I gave the ice cream candies to a laughing Tati. Then Tati, Max and his crew chief Bootie Barker posed for a photo with me. Nice folks, all of them!

From Our NASCAR Weekend at Gateway Raceway

Here’s some video I took with my Flip camera of the CampingWorld.com 200 race (before, during and after), including the Hat Dance by race winner Kevin Harvick and his team. This short video includes the command “Drivers start your engines,” trucks rolling off pit road, racing to green, a few pit stops, then the post-race in Victory Circle.

For the next few hours, we milled around in the pits, the garage and the media center. I took about 250 pictures that day. You can see the best of them in my Picasa web album.

Finally it was time for what I (thought I) had come to the track for: my ride in a pace car during a race, the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250 to be exact. The National Anthem was sung without a hitch, then Brandon walked me down pit road for my ride in the car. I took video with my Flip camera (from the back seat) throughout the two laps I had on the track.

The Bottom Line: I was able to cross one item off my Bucket List. The ride was fun, and I came away with even more. Throughout the weekend at Gateway Raceway, I was constantly amazed by how approachable the drivers are and how much access the fans have to them. What other sport lets you up so close, not just before a game, but during? 

Many, many thanks to Brandon Mudd for responding to my tweet that I thought would go unanswered.

From Our NASCAR Weekend at Gateway Raceway

(PS: A Confession :: We didn’t stay until the end of the Nationwide race to see Carl Edwards win. We were exhausted and drained from the 100+ temps, even though we’re Floridians now and drank more than a gallon water each during the day. We listened to the race on MRN radio in the car on the way back to our hotel, then watched the final 50 or so laps from our air-conditioned room with our feet up — and lots of great memories of the day.)

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Retaliation: How Far Is NASCAR Willing to Let It Go?

When you feel that someone has done you wrong, you find a way to show them how you feel about it. In NASCAR, that principle of retaliation is an underlying theme. Ask any NASCAR fan, and they can probably tell you of at least one confrontation their favorite driver has had with another due to getting payback for an on-track incident. So, just what caused the big commotion this time around? We’ve all seen drivers intentionally wreck each other before, but it seems that maybe the line was crossed on Saturday night.

On Saturday night, as the action unfolded during the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealer’s 250 at Gateway International Raceway, it was the last lap move for the lead that caused a big stir. Some fans cheered when the No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge being driven by Brad Keselowski was wrecked by Carl Edwards in the No. 60 Aflac Ford. Other fans, like me, watched in disbelief. Crews anxiously waited for the smoke to clear to see if their drivers had made it through the melee. Team owners, one in particular I’m sure, couldn’t believe their eyes. I am a fan of both Edwards and Keselowski, and as I watched Edwards take the checkered flag, it almost made me sick.

Edwards blatantly turned Keselowski to take the lead coming off of turn 4, which set off a chain reaction. After Keselowski hit the outside wall, his car came back across the track, and he clipped the back of the No. 16 Ford being driven by Edwards’s teammate Colin Braun, which sent Braun spinning across the start/finish line before hitting the wall hard. Then Keselowski came to a stop next to the inside wall where he was hit by another driver.

My breath caught in my throat as I watched Braun, who is my favorite Nationwide driver, hit the wall. I still couldn’t breathe as the sheet metal flew as more drivers wrecked and Keselowski got nailed by a driver who couldn’t get stopped in time. It was a few seconds after the smoke started to clear that I finally let out the breath I had been holding.

Edwards could have gotten someone injured, or worse, killed, doing what he did. I thank God that all the drivers involved in that last lap crash were okay.

Before you start thinking I am viewing this from one side, let me say that I know Keselowski had gotten into Edwards prior to that, which is what caused Edwards to do what he did. However, I saw nothing wrong with what Keselowski did when taking the lead from Edwards after the white flag flew. He got into Edwards enough just to nudge him up the track. To me, that’s an example of the old “bump and run” right there. Or maybe it was an accidental bump caused by Keselowski’s car getting loose when he tried to pass Edwards on the low side. Either way, I immediately knew Edwards would not be happy with that move and would show Keselowski how he felt about it.

I guess what bothered me the most was that Edwards put Keselowski, as well as other drivers, in harm’s way. As he was being interviewed in Victory Lane, Edwards almost seemed proud of what he’d done.

Did NASCAR really want a driver like that standing in Victory Lane? I was secretly hoping they would penalize Edwards on the spot and say that the win would go to Reed Sorenson who finished 2nd. At least Sorenson didn’t try to wreck anyone to finish toward the front (and he had bigger problems than someone bumping him for position to finish where he did!).

Just how far is NASCAR willing to let Edwards go before they step in and do something? Twice this season Edwards has intentionally wrecked Keselowski. Both times the crashes have been a lot worse than what Edwards thought they would be. But what can he expect when wrecking someone at such high speeds?

I recall Edwards making a comment once that NASCAR was going to let someone get killed before they did something to get the drivers under control during races. It seems those words may ring true if Edwards and Keselowski have any more run-ins.

Then again, maybe the bottom line here is Keselowski himself. There is no denying he has an aggressive driving style. He’s had run-ins with pretty much every driver on the circuit at some point, whether it’s in the Cup or Nationwide series. It’s just how he is. He refuses to let other drivers bully him; he fights back. He’ll push the envelope during races to make passes or claim the lead. It’s a personality trait that just ruffles the feathers of the other drivers. Even the fans seem to dislike that about him too.

It was a little over a year ago that Keselowski wrecked Edwards to win the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega. It was a move that put Edwards, other drivers, and fans too, in danger. So, yes, I know Keselowski has wrecked Edwards to get a win. Did I want the win taken from him then, like I wanted it taken from Edwards on Saturday? You bet your bottom dollar I did.

Of course, NASCAR’s “have at it” policy this season has led to some other on-track confrontations among different drivers. With lesser penalties for aggressive driving, I guess we’re all seeing the product of what can happen when NASCAR loosens the reigns just a bit too much.

The last time Edwards outright wrecked Keselowski, he was only put on probation for a few weeks. This time around, will Edwards be penalized for wrecking him again? Honestly, I will be surprised if he isn’t. I feel a penalty is definitely necessary this time. Not penalizing Edwards will be the closest thing to NASCAR directly saying it is okay to wreck another driver for the win with no regards for their safety or the safety of the other drivers.

A thought that crossed my mind after the race was that if it had been a driver other than Keselowski, would Edwards have wrecked them for the win? I say no. To me, it just seems like Edwards has a personal vendetta against Keselowski.

Getting even is okay when it is done within reason. Settling the score on-track is something that always leads to excitement and gives the fans and media alike something to talk about, but it can also be the reason things could one day go terribly wrong.

I’m afraid that this latest incident may cause Keselowski to seek his own revenge against Edwards in a later race. If he does, then Edwards will no doubt retaliate again. My biggest concern is that this rivalry will escalate and one day, either Edwards or Keselowski will indeed take things just a bit too far. Is that something NASCAR really wants to let happen?

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author.

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In the Middle

I was up all night Saturday reading through arguments and discussions while at the same time having my own with a few respectful fans. The topic was Carl Edwards getting into Brad Keselowski at the NNS Gateway race. Throughout the night I felt like I was the only person who was standing on the middle ground in all of this.

My opinion is simple. First of all, I think we need to leave the past in the past. This wasn’t Atlanta, nor did it have anything to do with Atlanta, and that was a main argument point I saw on Twitter.com. Some fans think that this was payback again, but why bring a past race into it? It’s not that; it was the fact of Brad bumping Carl in the turns and taking the lead from him.

My second point is that no, I don’t necessarily condone wrecking someone last minute for a win, but isn’t that racing? You do what you have to do for a win - isn’t that what NASCAR is condoning by letting the racers “have at it?” What’s the point of saying “let let them be aggressive and get into each other” if when they do it, everyone is going to demand that NASCAR park or fine them? Yes, Carl could’ve bumped Brad, but no one knows what someone will do for a win. He wanted it and he got it. NASCAR let it slide, so fair must be fair in this case.

Now onto my third point, I find it absolutely ridiculous that NASCAR’s fan base insists on dividing themselves whenever someone wrecks another. Who cares about “teams” - when did NASCAR suddenly become The Twilight Saga? Why can’t we group together and have an intelligent conversation? I think we need to quit arguing, picking sides and thinking about what ifs and think about what did happen. Brad is alive and uninjured, and both drivers said positive things in their interviews.

I want to end this with two questions for you all to think about: 1) Would this topic be so controversial if fans would let go of the past, and 2) If Brad can have respect for good racing, why can’t the fans?

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer.

_________________
Photo: Carl Edwards poses with his winning car, which shows damage from a last-lap incident with Brad Keselowski, and trophy in victory lane at Gateway International Raceway. (Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)

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When A Line Is Crossed

Saturday's Nationwide race was filled with great racing all night long. It was clear that Brad Keselowski and Carl Edwards had two great cars. The last lap was going to be great, you already knew. But I don’t think anyone was prepared for what would happen.

The final laps were in play. Entering the first two turns Brad’s car got loose and slid into the side of Carl, causing both to almost wreck. Brad and Carl have some rivalry when it comes to bumping one another. Brad’s unintentional bump would make Carl mad.

As Brad and Carl neared the final set of turns, Brad’s car became loose again. As Brad gained control of his car once again, Carl then turned left and rammed into Brad. Brad then went into the wall, causing a crash behind him.

Many say Carl had every right to do this, while many say Carl did a bad thing and should be fined. My feelings on this run deep. At first I said OK, maybe that was an accident. I watched the replays and studied it closely. As I watched, it was clear to me Carl turned left into Brad. But I still didn’t want to push any judgment on Carl; it wasn’t until Victory Lane that I knew it was done intentionally.

"I just couldn't let him take the win from me," Edwards said as he was being interviewed in Victory Lane, a clear sign that he did wreck Brad on purpose. Carl then went to say it was payback from the earlier bump in the race.

"We had a great restart. My guys built me a great car. We came to the checkered flag, and I hate to see stuff tore up, but we came here to win and he took it from us there in Turn 1.” Was it really right of Carl Edwards to do? No.

No, Carl Edwards crossed the line. There’s "boys have at it" and then there’s just wrecking someone. What Carl Edwards did was uncalled for. You may be thinking why and getting ready to throw stones at me, but here are my reasons.

Carl Edwards wanted the win; Carl knew Brad was going to win. Even Carl said he couldn’t let Brad take the win. I’m not saying Carl is a bad guy or bad racer; however, what he did was wrong. It’s one thing to bump someone, aka the "bump and run," but what Carl did was turn hard left into Brad and wreck him.

I am a huge Brad Keselowski fan, I won’t lie to you. So yes, I stand behind my driver on this. Brad has done some things in the past I wasn’t too happy about, but he has overcome them. Brad has become more mature in the past months of racing. He is more patient with his racing; he doesn’t need to run over people. Meanwhile, Carl, it seems, is showing his true colors. Atlanta was the first straw for me with Carl, but I overcame it because I hate holding grudges.

In all honesty, and I know the stones will come flying at me, I think Carl should be fined. He needs to realize that doing stuff like this is only going to hurt some or dare I say it, kill someone. This is the second time he has done it, and what’s worse is not only was Brad involved, but so were other Nationwide drivers who just wanted a good finish. I’m all for what goes around comes around, but Brad hasn’t touched Carl since the Atlanta race. In all honesty, Brad should be the one getting payback at Carl, but Brad hasn’t.

Seeing that was a shock, to say the least. Seeing Brad once again get wrecked by Carl is something I didn’t want to see, not in that way. I know it's racing, and I know with racing comes these accidents. Accidents in racing are scary as it is, but they are even scarier when they are done intentionally

.

Brad was later interviewed and wouldn’t you know, he was happy. He felt like it was fun racing; however, Brad did feel that Carl intentionally did wreck him.

"He turned left into me and wrecked me on purpose. I gave him the lane, and he still wrecked me," Brad said, and he did give Carl more than enough room. There was no reason for there to be any contact between the two.

I know I am going to make a lot of people mad at me for this. I know a lot of people won’t agree with me, but it’s my opinion for one, and I know what I saw during that race. If the roles were reversed and Brad had done to Carl what Carl did to Brad, I wouldn’t be very happy with Brad - I would feel what I feel right now.

I know NASCAR won’t fine Carl for this, but in a way I hope they do. Maybe it will open Carl’s eyes and he will see that wrecking people like he does to Brad is wrong and very uncalled for.

I hope someone sees my point of view and understands how I feel on this whole thing. Truly what Carl did was wrong, and Brad walked away again unharmed, but next time Brad or someone else may not be OK. I hope who all read this understand that they don’t have to agree with me.

Racing is racing, and in racing there is wrecking and crashes. However, there are some crashes that could be avoided - and Saturday's crash was one of them.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer.

___________________________
Photo: Coming to the checkered flag, Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski tangle in the battle for the victory during Saturday's Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250. (Dilip Vishwanat / Getty Images)

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Is Edwards Really to Blame for Last Lap Wreck?

Commentators were unsure, teams were angry, and fans were thrilled. After tonight's Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250 at Gateway International Raceway, even NASCAR is unsure of whether the last-lap incident was intentional or just hard racing.

It seems that tonight's altercation went beyond just NASCAR and its fans as Carl Edwards was the number one trending topic on twitter.com--which I personally have never seen. As I was reading tweets about Carl and the incident, I realized most people either felt that Edwards did what was within his limitations in regards to NASCAR's rules--or they felt that Edwards had inadvertant plans to kill Keselowski. Brad's father, Bob, felt that the latter was true. I believe that Brad's father and fans have no right to blame Carl. Bob Keselowski made the comment that Carl nearly put Brad into the grandstands in Atlanta--but what about Talladega when Carl literally had pieces of his car fly into the grandstands? If Bob Keselowski wants to preach about safety and "killing" other drivers, he may want to direct his comments towards his son, Brad, as well.

The fact that fans can casually make comments about a professional racecar driver wanting to kill another is preposterous. No one driver wants to kill a colleague. Do they want to win races? Of course! The point of being involved in one of the most watched racing series in the world is to win races and win championships. If Brad had been nose to bumper with Carl leading coming out of turn 4, he wouldn't have budged. He may have made an even more controversial move, if you can imagine what that would be like.


If anything, Brad came out of turn 4 hot and trying to get everything he could--so he slid up and the back of his car slid against the left front of Edward's nose, sending Keselowski sailing--and Edwards to the front. It was the end of the race, it was to be expected. But no fan, no commentator, no driver could have expected the brief race on the front-stretch to the checkered flag to be so divided and controversial.


Tonight's incident would have been minute if the incident had happened further back in the pack instead of being at the very front. I've heard people say that the hit Keselowski took was what made Carl's controversial move "bad." Was that not the exact case last fall at Talladega? Not only did Keselowski take Edwards out, Ryan Newman got the brunt of it as well. There were drivers who were innocent bystanders in tonights race which made the incident all the more "horrific," but don't forget about last fall. In my mind, last fall was more horrific, considering fans were injured in the process. Atlanta was between Edwards and Keselowski, and although that was pure pay-back for Talladega--the fact that no fans or other drivers were involved was a blessing.

The incident at Talladega left Edward fans

in shock, and others notice Keselowski.

I will admit, I'm not the biggest fan of Keselowski--and am quite the ed-head... but putting my personal feelings aside, I will say that I think Carl's last-lap move was half desperation to win, and half payback for Keselowski's nudge on the prior turn. Everyone knows of the prior Edward/Keselowski incidents--first at Talladega, and then payback at Atlanta. I believe that both drivers put their differences aside following the horrific accident at Atlanta where Edwards intentionally wrecked Keselowski and sent him into the air. Of course this was prior to the spoiler being re-introduced into NASCAR... but nonetheless both Edwards and Keselowski have been sent sailing into the air by one another.

Carl's move was a black or white move. There was no gray area in it. He abided by the rules put before him and then got scolded. If NASCAR penalizes him for the incident, they will be setting a horrible precedent for races to come. Dave Burns, Rusty Wallace, and Ricky Craven, the commentators in the booth for the Nationwide Race, were unsure of whether or not the incident would be perceived as NASCAR getting back to it's roots, or just dirty driving. Some may say that in the past, Carl has made some dirty moves--but what driver hasn't? Earnhardt was known for his "Intimidator" persona, and applauded for it. Guys like Stewart and Harvick are known for their no bull attitude on and off the track... but they all do it within NASCAR's ruling.


There is no doubt that Carl is not 100% right in every move he makes on the race track, but is it not obvious that neither is Brad? The Nationwide Series race at Gateway International Raceway was definitely a race fans will remember, but if NASCAR were to deprive Edwards of the win or points, they would be going against everything they've been preaching since February; Pre-Daytona 500 and Pre-Budweiser Shootout. By letting the boys race, you're giving them free reigns to make last-minute decisive moves such as the one that was made tonight. NASCAR was made famous because of the 1979 Daytona 500 fight--and for all we know, tonight's drama could be the next big incident to publicize why NASCAR racing is as intense as it is. And as with all other sports--by Wednesday, Keselowski and Edwards could have buried the hatchet.

The opinions in this article are of the author and do not reflect upon Skirts & Scuffs or other contributors.
Photo Courtesy NASCAR.com, Sports Illustrated, and PitRoadScene.com

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