Montoya Fight

[cosworth151]

Juan Pablo Montoya is catching on to NASCAR life quickly. Here's a video of him "going fist city" with Kevin Harvick at Sunday's race at Watkins Glen.



After all this happened, JPM got back in his car and almost stayed on the lead lap. Unfortunately, the car wouldn't run.

Cos

[Chameleon]

I read a report about the "fight" in a regional newspaper's site this morning.  Funny thing is how differently the fans react to how they would in Europe.  Most of the comments were calling the drivers wimps for not taking their helmets off and doing the thing properly!  In Europe the FIA would come in and start handing out penalties, banning people and deducting points for the teams...

Anyway, here's the article - have a look at the comments... 

http://blogs.courant.com/autoracing/2007/08/kevin-harvick-a.html

[cosworth151]

This is what Shawn was refering to when he talks about "sneak attack drop kicks" in the article:



NASCAR's total command of the US racing landscape dates back to a fight. The first live broadcast of the Daytona 500 was in 1979. Most of the midwest and northeast was buried in snow. This was long before most of the national cable networks. The race ended in a last lap crash and fist fight.
It also was the first use of a live, in-car camera.



I remember being snowed in with my then-roommate Deborah in our apartment in NYC watching this.

The clip is worth a look just to see David Hobbs circa 1979.

Cos

[Chameleon]

Woohoo, exciting stuff, Cozzie.  That drop kick is wild!  I don't think the guy would ever have been allowed on a race circuit again if it had happened in Europe.  Still, I guess it gets all those feelings out in the open and everyone can then go home and cool off over a beer.

The later clip is real history.  Richard Petty was one of my heroes, even though I knew very little about racing in the States back then.  The guy had charisma I think, as well as winning time and time again.