Mark Zeske at Sports Illustrated got it right, and Pit Road Post is loving it!
Here are the top eight signs that old-school NASCAR has re-emerged:
The bump: With fewer than five laps remaining, Kurt Busch simply bashed Matt Kenseth out of the way, then went on to win the race. The front-bumper move was straight out of a race rerun on ESPN Classic. In fact, most people say it reminded them of Dale Earnhardt ramming Terry Labonte out of the way on the last lap in 1999.
The grumps: Kenseth, upset at not winning, took it out on Jeff Gordon
by grinding cars together. Gordon went flying backward, falling from
third to 21st. Gordon isn't exactly old-school, but he did about the
best impression he could of an Allison. He shoved Kenseth after the
race, drawing a fine from NASCAR.
The feud: Kevin Harvick took advantage of the bumping at Bristol to tell everyone what he really thinks of Kurt Busch, writing another chapter of NASCAR's best active feud. Of course, Harvick is a throw-back driver, and that's one of the reasons he fit in well as Earnhardt's replacement five years ago at Richard Childress Racing. So Harvick loved Busch's winning move, claiming that he would have done the same thing. But Harvick was also quick to point out that he didn't approve of Busch. "I hate to see Kurt Busch win," Harvick said. "What a whiner."
The block for no good reason: Dale Jarrett seems like a nice guy -- after all, his NASCAR-champion father is known as Gentleman Ned. Don't be fooled. Dale knows the ropes after spending most of his life at NASCAR tracks. The ornery Jarrett was able to slow down the entire field and upset the balance of power just by not getting out of the way. His moves drove Kenseth and the others crazy, but if you are old-school, you know that's the point.
Missed revenge: Martin Truex
was one of the angry ones at Bristol, but when he tried to inflict his
revenge on Gordon, things went awry. Fact is, nobody is exactly sure
what happened, but Truex looked foolish. It was such an amazing event
that Stewart, racing behind Truex and Gordon, could be seen laughing.
The laughs were probably good for Stewart, NASCAR's most retro driver,
because he spent most of the race annoyed with Truex.
Jimmy Spencer's back: Anything that puts Jimmy Spencer in a stock car is good for NASCAR. Spencer, a veteran driver without a ride, is tons of fun. He'd just as soon whip you off the track as win the race. He's also been known to enjoy a cold beverage or two. Spencer has signed on as an advisor for rookie Brent Sherman, who drives the No. 49 Dodge, but Spencer will also get behind the wheel for Martinsville and several other races. Don't be surprised if Jimmy joins in all the pushing-and-shoving fun.
Remembering Dale: It was Dale Earnhardt's school for most of two decades. He embodied the NASCAR that most longtime fans love. Earnhardt, who died five years ago in a crash at Daytona, was honored this week when the Mississippi House of Representatives designated April 29 of each year "Dale Earnhardt Day." The Intimidator was born on April 29, 1951.
Sadler vs. Hammond: TNA Wrestling is hooking up with NASCAR this week, sponsoring Hermie Sadler's ride. They are also promoting a wrestling extravaganza across the street from Martinsville Speedway this Saturday. NASCAR will be represented in an eight-man tag-team "Lumberjack" match. Sadler and Fox broadcaster Jeff Hammond will hook up with Team 3-D to form half of the match.
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