Let the replay and recording show that Kevin Harvick, who finished second to Jimmie Johnson in Sunday’s race at Texas, instigated the melee on pit road between Brad Keselowski and Jeff Gordon.
Keselowski’s No. 2 Ford panicked the left rear fender of Jeff Gordon’s No. 24 Chevrolet, causing a rear tire blowout during overtime laps of the AAA Texas 500.
What looked like a chance at victory and a ticket to the championship round quickly turned into trash in Gordon’s trunk. Keselowski finished third while Gordon fell heavily to 29th place.
Gordon, 43, was so furious that after the race he pulled up next to Keselowski’s car, got out and wanted to have words with the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion.
It looked like Gordon was done yelling and pointing when Harvick shoved Keselowski into the four-time Cup champion and Gordon lunged at his nemesis.
At that point, all hell broke loose on pit road, with both drivers disappearing into a lively melee of opposing team members, race officials and media.
“Kevin likes everyone to fight for some reason,” said Keselowski, who had a cut lip and blood on his forehead. “I came here to run, not to fight. I ran as hard as I could and these guys just didn’t like it.
Gordon suffered a broken lower lip in the scuffle and, for the first time in his career, used a swear word in a post-race interview with ESPN.
“He’s just a dip-(expletive),” Gordon said of Kez. “The way he races, I don’t know how he’s ever won a championship and I’m just sick and tired. This is why everyone fights him and routs him. »
But again, it was Harvick’s action of shoving Keselowski with both hands from behind that started the ruckus involving dozens of full-bodied men.
“If you’re going to run like that, you’re going to have to get the upper hand at some point,” Harvick said, later adding, “I didn’t get in the middle of anything. I just turned him around and said d go fight your own fight.
For the record, this was a fight between former Cup champions, a loop Harvick can’t throw over his shoulder.
It is not finished
Gordon promised some form of revenge against Keselowski. “This kid does things that are way over his head,” he said. “It’s just inappropriate. You are racing for a victory and a championship. You’re not going to slam someone and cut their left rear tire. If that’s what it takes, then no problem. We can do the same to him.
The winner is
Lost in the post-race commotion, Jimmie Johnson won his fourth race of the season, his first since the spring. Johnson led 191 laps in his No. 48 Chevrolet. “We are back on track,” he said. “Unfortunately we didn’t find this stuff until a month or two ago, but that’s the way racing is.”
