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(WARNING: SOMEWHAT OF A LARGE ARTICLE)
By Jeff Owens
SportsLine.com Sports Writer
For the past three years, NASCAR and its TV partners have been trumpeting the rise of the Young Guns, the gang of 20- and 30-something drivers who have taken over the Winston Cup Series.
It has hung its hat on their good looks, their aggressive nature and a hip, cool style that appeals to a younger generation. It is this band of misfits -- or miscreants, depending on your view -- that has helped NASCAR shed its good ole boy, Southern image.
And NASCAR and its sponsors have not hesitated to revel in their talent and sudden, amazing success. NBC has even tailored its NASCAR theme music -- or racket, depending on your view -- to the young generation of stars.
But now it's starting to pay the price. Everything good comes with a cost, and NASCAR is suddenly paying for having a band of young, brash, inexperienced stars leading its charge.
Whether it's Tony Stewart's temper getting the best of him or Dale Earnhardt Jr. dropping a few F-bombs along the way, NASCAR's new generation of stars come with plenty of baggage.
Along with their fresh, hip style come immaturity and inexperience, and it is those traits that most often race to the forefront during tense, emotional moments.
NASCAR has seen that in the past few weeks.
First, 25-year-old Kurt Busch makes headlines by getting punched by Jimmy Spencer at Michigan on Aug. 17. On the surface, it would appear Busch was merely the victim of a crime.
But upon closer review, NASCAR and its fans discovered Busch was just as guilty as Spencer, admitting over his in-car radio that he intentionally tried to wreck Spencer, or at least damage his car. Then we learned that he antagonized and threatened Spencer after the race, shouting, "Do something ... and you'll die."
Once fans and the media learned the whole story, Busch suddenly became the villain, getting booed unmercifully in recent weeks.
While NASCAR certainly needed a new villain, Busch's actions didn't set well with his peers, some claiming "he had it coming," and it reflected poorly on NASCAR's young drivers as a whole.
From veterans and long-time fans came a familiar refrain: He doesn't know how to act because he hasn't learned to respect his peers and he hasn't paid his dues.
"His remarks have been less settling and a little uncomfortable for some of us that are older and don't understand it," said Ricky Craven 37. "He's 25. At 35, he's going to look back and say, 'Wow, did I really say that?'"
Then at Richmond, 27-year-old Kevin Harvick went berserk for the second time in two years, igniting another post-race confrontation, NASCAR's second in a month.
Harvick was racing fellow Young Gun Ryan Newman for the victory at Richmond when veteran Ricky Rudd wrecked him. Rudd said it was an accident; Harvick didn't buy it and went after Rudd after the race.
After planting his wrecked car flush against the side of Rudd's on pit road, Harvick climbed onto Rudd's right-side window and spewed obscenities while his crew pounded and stomped on Rudd's car hood, leaving it with significant damage.
It was great drama, something between one of baseball's bench-clearing brawls and the WWF's Royal Rumble. And it made highlight reels all over the country, bringing NASCAR more publicity than its on-track action has in weeks.
Yet it also served up another black eye for the sport, one that is constantly fighting the image that it is nothing more than "wrestling on wheels."
NASCAR officials were so infuriated over the incident that it called the entire crews from both teams to its hauler after the race, then issued a stern, public warning, declaring such behavior will not be tolerated.
Two days later, Harvick was fined $35,000 while other members of his team were fined and/or suspended.
Such altercations, of course, are nothing new in NASCAR. They have been occurring for years. In fact, it was an outright fistfight between Cale Yarborough and the Allison brothers in 1979 that made the sport famous.
But such outbursts and altercations are not supposed to happen today, not in NASCAR's politically correct age and not when the whole world is suddenly watching.
Today, drivers are expected to refrain from such behavior lest they embarrass the sport and its sponsors. Men paid millions to race professionally and represent a sponsor are supposed to know better, or so the theory goes.
But in the heat of the battle, when so much is at stake and emotions are running high, tempers will flare. And the result is often what happened at Richmond, where the furious Harvick looked like he was in a steel cage instead of on pit road.
Veterans of the sport would have you believe, of course, that Harvick's actions are a direct result of him just being young and immature. Most fail to admit that those same veterans once behaved the same way, some not too long ago.
Still, such incidents are much more likely to occur when your top stars are brash, young, aggressive drivers who haven't learned yet how to control their emotions.
Even in apologizing for embarrassing his sponsors and fans, Harvick doesn't seem to regret losing his temper.
"Emotions run high in this sport and, needless to say, mine were running very high after last Saturday night's race," he said in a statement released Wednesday. "I felt like we had a strong finish in our run for the Winston Cup championship taken away for no reason. I believe I had every right to be upset, but I do regret that what happened after the race reflected poorly on GM Goodwrench and my other sponsors and may have been offensive to some."
Harvick is right. He did have every right to be upset, and when emotions are running that high, rage takes over and competitors are going to do and say things they may regret and that may reflect poorly on their sponsors.
Especially when you are a young star not accustomed to handling such tense, blood-boiling affairs.
Right or wrong, NASCAR will have to get used to it. Its new, brash young stars may see to that.
By Jeff Owens
SportsLine.com Sports Writer
For the past three years, NASCAR and its TV partners have been trumpeting the rise of the Young Guns, the gang of 20- and 30-something drivers who have taken over the Winston Cup Series.
It has hung its hat on their good looks, their aggressive nature and a hip, cool style that appeals to a younger generation. It is this band of misfits -- or miscreants, depending on your view -- that has helped NASCAR shed its good ole boy, Southern image.
And NASCAR and its sponsors have not hesitated to revel in their talent and sudden, amazing success. NBC has even tailored its NASCAR theme music -- or racket, depending on your view -- to the young generation of stars.
But now it's starting to pay the price. Everything good comes with a cost, and NASCAR is suddenly paying for having a band of young, brash, inexperienced stars leading its charge.
Whether it's Tony Stewart's temper getting the best of him or Dale Earnhardt Jr. dropping a few F-bombs along the way, NASCAR's new generation of stars come with plenty of baggage.
Along with their fresh, hip style come immaturity and inexperience, and it is those traits that most often race to the forefront during tense, emotional moments.
NASCAR has seen that in the past few weeks.
First, 25-year-old Kurt Busch makes headlines by getting punched by Jimmy Spencer at Michigan on Aug. 17. On the surface, it would appear Busch was merely the victim of a crime.
But upon closer review, NASCAR and its fans discovered Busch was just as guilty as Spencer, admitting over his in-car radio that he intentionally tried to wreck Spencer, or at least damage his car. Then we learned that he antagonized and threatened Spencer after the race, shouting, "Do something ... and you'll die."
Once fans and the media learned the whole story, Busch suddenly became the villain, getting booed unmercifully in recent weeks.
While NASCAR certainly needed a new villain, Busch's actions didn't set well with his peers, some claiming "he had it coming," and it reflected poorly on NASCAR's young drivers as a whole.
From veterans and long-time fans came a familiar refrain: He doesn't know how to act because he hasn't learned to respect his peers and he hasn't paid his dues.
"His remarks have been less settling and a little uncomfortable for some of us that are older and don't understand it," said Ricky Craven 37. "He's 25. At 35, he's going to look back and say, 'Wow, did I really say that?'"
Then at Richmond, 27-year-old Kevin Harvick went berserk for the second time in two years, igniting another post-race confrontation, NASCAR's second in a month.
Harvick was racing fellow Young Gun Ryan Newman for the victory at Richmond when veteran Ricky Rudd wrecked him. Rudd said it was an accident; Harvick didn't buy it and went after Rudd after the race.
After planting his wrecked car flush against the side of Rudd's on pit road, Harvick climbed onto Rudd's right-side window and spewed obscenities while his crew pounded and stomped on Rudd's car hood, leaving it with significant damage.
It was great drama, something between one of baseball's bench-clearing brawls and the WWF's Royal Rumble. And it made highlight reels all over the country, bringing NASCAR more publicity than its on-track action has in weeks.
Yet it also served up another black eye for the sport, one that is constantly fighting the image that it is nothing more than "wrestling on wheels."
NASCAR officials were so infuriated over the incident that it called the entire crews from both teams to its hauler after the race, then issued a stern, public warning, declaring such behavior will not be tolerated.
Two days later, Harvick was fined $35,000 while other members of his team were fined and/or suspended.
Such altercations, of course, are nothing new in NASCAR. They have been occurring for years. In fact, it was an outright fistfight between Cale Yarborough and the Allison brothers in 1979 that made the sport famous.
But such outbursts and altercations are not supposed to happen today, not in NASCAR's politically correct age and not when the whole world is suddenly watching.
Today, drivers are expected to refrain from such behavior lest they embarrass the sport and its sponsors. Men paid millions to race professionally and represent a sponsor are supposed to know better, or so the theory goes.
But in the heat of the battle, when so much is at stake and emotions are running high, tempers will flare. And the result is often what happened at Richmond, where the furious Harvick looked like he was in a steel cage instead of on pit road.
Veterans of the sport would have you believe, of course, that Harvick's actions are a direct result of him just being young and immature. Most fail to admit that those same veterans once behaved the same way, some not too long ago.
Still, such incidents are much more likely to occur when your top stars are brash, young, aggressive drivers who haven't learned yet how to control their emotions.
Even in apologizing for embarrassing his sponsors and fans, Harvick doesn't seem to regret losing his temper.
"Emotions run high in this sport and, needless to say, mine were running very high after last Saturday night's race," he said in a statement released Wednesday. "I felt like we had a strong finish in our run for the Winston Cup championship taken away for no reason. I believe I had every right to be upset, but I do regret that what happened after the race reflected poorly on GM Goodwrench and my other sponsors and may have been offensive to some."
Harvick is right. He did have every right to be upset, and when emotions are running that high, rage takes over and competitors are going to do and say things they may regret and that may reflect poorly on their sponsors.
Especially when you are a young star not accustomed to handling such tense, blood-boiling affairs.
Right or wrong, NASCAR will have to get used to it. Its new, brash young stars may see to that.
