Top 10 Most Heated Confrontations in NASCAR History
#10: Denny Hamlin vs. Joey Logano
These two got into a big shoving match following a conversation. At the first data 500 at the Martinsville Speedway in 2019, Joey Logano was angry at Denny Hamlin for pulling an in-race move which resulted in the former hitting a wall and getting a tire cut. He confronted him about it and while the conversation was initially civil, things turned sour quickly. According to Hamlin, Logano asked him if he wanted to fight, then proceeded to push him and run away. Hamlin was not having it. A fracas ensued between the drivers. Fortunately, Hamlin’s team was there to ensure things didn’t escalate any further. But still. What was Longano thinking trying to challenge Hamlin alone when he’s surrounded by his whole team?
#9: Jeff Gordon vs. Jeff Burton
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A collision took place on the track between these two at the 2010 AAA Texas 500. Though he stated that it was not intentional, Jeff Burton’s vehicle had collided with that of Jeff Gordon’s. Gordon was so furious that he immediately proceeded to exit his vehicle to attack Burton. A physical confrontation ensued between the two drivers. They were eventually separated by officials. Interestingly enough, both men were forced to ride in the same ambulance together. We can’t help but wonder what that must have been like…
#8: Kevin Harvick vs. Greg Biffle
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At the Bristol Motor Speedway race in 2002, a near collision resulted in Kevin Harvick losing control of his vehicle and crashing. Harvick was not happy about it. He patiently waited for Bifle, and when the opportunity came, he pounced. No punches were thrown, but the way Harvick comes in out of nowhere, swooping in like a hawk in the middle of Biffle’s interview and going right in his face is downright funny. It wouldn’t be their last heated encounter either, as they two would have another run-in with each other years later in Martinsville. But this initial confrontation would be the beginning of what would become a heated rivalry between the two.
#7: Matt Kenseth vs. Brad Keselowski
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At the Bank of America 500 in 2014, both of these drivers were involved in a collision which also inadvertently involved several other drivers. Keselowski had come into contact with a number of vehicles during the cool down lap of the race. After the incident, Kenseth took a page from Harvick’s book and went full stealth mode. He expressed his displeasure with Keselowski by sneaking up right behind him and attempting to tackle him. He got a hold of him and a scuffle between both teams ensued. It took a while for the altercation to break up. But who knew NASCAR drivers could also be experts in sneak attacks?
#6: Daniel Suarez vs. Michael McDowell
During a qualifying race, Michael McDowell held up Daniel Suarez, and a spotter for the latter urged him to retaliate. After that, Suarez jumped on the brakes and stayed on the race track until the last second, where McDowell was then forced to exit. Both drivers were knocked out of the race. In the aftermath, Suarez climbed from his vehicle and marched over to the pit stall looking for McDowell. McDowell was ready and grabbed him by the throat. Suarez then threw a punch and both drivers shortly thereafter went to the ground. Crew members rushed to the scene. Suarez was pushed on the hood of McDowell’s car and McDowell tried to get after him by pulling him off it. It was a hectic encounter to say the least.
#5: Jeff Gordon vs. Brad Keselowski
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A collision between these two drivers resulted in Jeff Gordon’s vehicle spinning with a flat tire, falling a lap down and finishing in 29th place. Shortly after the race, Gordon tracked Keselowski down to exchange some words. He stopped his car next to Keselowski’s, climbed out and went right over to have a chat with him. But things really escalated and got out of hand when Keselowski was nudged from behind by Kevin Harvick. Several punches were thrown. The brawl resulted in Gordon and Keselowski having cuts on their lips.
#4: Tony Stewart vs. Joey Logano
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On the final restart of the Auto Club 400 sprint cup race, Joey Logano blocked Tony Stewart who was leading 18 laps and could have run up. Stewart was furious and ended up finishing the race in 22th place. After the race, he ran over to Logano’s vehicle to give him his piece of mind. Shoving ensued and some punches were thrown. A water bottle was even thrown. But before it could get too out of hand, the drivers were separated. Logano felt what he did was justified, but Stewart clearly was not having any of it. And boy did he let him know.
#3: Jeff Gordon vs. Clint Bowyer
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After both of these drivers took each other out during a Nascar Cup series race, Bowyer was not too pleased. His response? To sprint through the garage area to find Gordon and directly confront him. Bowyer’s anger is evident based on the way in which he memorably ran towards Gordon. But before he could even face him, Gordon would get jumped by Bowyer’s crew. Both of the driver’s crews eventually got into it and punches were thrown. Oddly enough, Bowyer wouldn’t even be able to reach Gordon, so they never actually got to duke it out with one another. The only thing stranger than that is that both men have gone to work together at Fox sports and seem to get along just fine. Sort of?
#2: Darrell Waltrip vs. Rusty Wallace
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Both drivers were fighting for the lead during NASCAR’s all-star race in 1989. The two cars crashed, with Waltrip spinning out of control while Wallace was able to slide past the finish line for the win. Afterwards, two members from each of the respective drivers’ crews got into it and then all hell broke loose at the pit. The result of the incident? A fight involving numerous people of course, perhaps the most in any fight on this list. Speaking on Wallace’s win, Waltrip said: “I hope he chokes on that $200,000.” Yikes. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Greg Biffle vs. Jay Sauter
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Cole Custer vs. John Hunter Nemechek
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Kyle Busch vs. Joey Logano
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Bubba Wallace vs. Kyle Larson
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Clint Bowyer vs. Ryan Newman
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#1: Donnie Allison vs. Cale Yarborough
These legendary drivers were vying for first place at the Daytona 500 in 1979, and they were neck in neck racing to pass the finish line. They eventually made contact, crashed and slid. On the track, they wasted no time getting into it. After an exchange of words, the gloves were off. Yarborough even got a shot at Allison using his helmet. Although not nearly as rowdy or wild as some of the other brawls on this list, the circumstances that led to it taking place, the stage it was set in and the drivers involved put Nascar on notice, and its popularity skyrocketed.
