Seems pretty simple on the outside, but there is etiquette. Here are the unwritten
rules most stock car drivers go by. Firstly, when you arrive on the rear bumper of another driver, you wait a lap to see just how much faster you are. If, by then there is still no movement on his part, you give him a little tap - emphasis on the little. Now, as you give him the first one, you then "lay off" him, meaning you roll out of the throttle to let him gather himself back up, and get going again. If that doesn't convince him to let you through - you bump and run him, which means you tap his rear bumper with the front bumper of your car in the centre of the corner. Doing it on the way into the corner, or the way out will cause problems for both of you. He, being the leader, will more than likely spin, possibly taking you with him. So, you bump him in the middle of the corner, and move him up the racetrack, you dive to the bottom and off you go.
Now, at no time is it proper to bump and spin another car. You don't hit someone hard enough to spin him out - unless of course you are really pissed off at him. Ideally, you want to take his position, not put him down a few laps or
out of the race. This is where Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth ran into problems at Bristol.
You see, winner Kurt Busch got to the rear bumper of leader Matt Kenseth with just a few laps to go, he did the right thing, used the proper etiquette. He sat there giving Kenseth a chance to either a) get Dale Jarrett, already lapped, out of the way, or b) let Busch through. Kenseth couldn't move Jarrett as he couldn't get to the back of the UPS Ford. So, Busch moved him and went on to the win, just like he did to Jimmy Spencer a few years ago.
Kenseth fell back, as second place Kevin Harvick got past Kenseth also. Next in line was Jeff Gordon, who moved Kenseth, but this time Kenseth was able to stay with the Dupont Monte Carlo driver and returned the favour... but... he spun Jeff out.
This is a breach of the etiquette rules, and so now you know why after the race Gordon was so furious at Kenseth. Yes, Gordon moved him, but he didn't 'wreck' him, and that was the difference.
Now we take all those "IOUs" to Martinsville this weekend and let the paint, fenders and bodywork fly... can't wait.
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| The cars pack up in Bristol. (Photo: Autostock) |
Now, at no time is it proper to bump and spin another car. You don't hit someone hard enough to spin him out - unless of course you are really pissed off at him. Ideally, you want to take his position, not put him down a few laps or
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| Matt Kenseth about to get bumped by Kurt Busch. (Photo: Autostock) |
You see, winner Kurt Busch got to the rear bumper of leader Matt Kenseth with just a few laps to go, he did the right thing, used the proper etiquette. He sat there giving Kenseth a chance to either a) get Dale Jarrett, already lapped, out of the way, or b) let Busch through. Kenseth couldn't move Jarrett as he couldn't get to the back of the UPS Ford. So, Busch moved him and went on to the win, just like he did to Jimmy Spencer a few years ago.
Kenseth fell back, as second place Kevin Harvick got past Kenseth also. Next in line was Jeff Gordon, who moved Kenseth, but this time Kenseth was able to stay with the Dupont Monte Carlo driver and returned the favour... but... he spun Jeff out.
This is a breach of the etiquette rules, and so now you know why after the race Gordon was so furious at Kenseth. Yes, Gordon moved him, but he didn't 'wreck' him, and that was the difference.
Now we take all those "IOUs" to Martinsville this weekend and let the paint, fenders and bodywork fly... can't wait.