Woody: This Is Getting Dangerous
Brad Keselowski spins as Carl Edwards wins at Gateway on Saturday night. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images for NASCAR)
By Larry Woody | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Admit it: we all enjoy a good spat, especially in sports, where rivalry translates to drama.
But the festering feud between Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski is about to spin out of control.
“Don’t kill my boy,” declared an emotional Bob Keselowski Saturday night as he headed to the infield care center at Gateway International Raceway to check on his son Brad.
Brad Keselowski had been taken to the care center following a horrific-looking crash caused when he was punted into the wall on the last lap by Carl Edwards.
Keselowski miraculously was not injured – growing testament to the safety features NASCAR has implemented in recent years in its cars and retaining walls.
But crashes like that – and an equally-frightening ride Keselowsi took last year at Talladega after a similar Edwards tap – is pushing everyone’s luck.
It’s a part of a continuing give-and-take battle between Edwards and Keselowski, and Edwards at times been on the receiving end – as he was last Saturday, collecting his car after a Keselowski bump on that same last-lap battle.
But Keselowski has tended to get the worst of it. In his Atlanta crash his car went airborne, and last Saturday it was rammed by a trailing car after crashing into the wall.
No matter how durable the cars may be, drivers can’t continue to walk away from wrecks like that forever.
Nobody is suggesting that Edwards is trying to injure Keselowski. In both crashes the two were battling for a win at the end of the race and there’s an unwritten rule that on the last lap anything goes.
But “anything” is going to get somebody hurt if it keeps on. Keselowski has been extremely lucky so far. So has Edwards – no driver wants an injured fellow driver on his conscience.
NASCAR also has been lucky. As soon as the first driver is injured, critics are going to start howling about NASCAR’s “have at it boys” edict at the start of the season. They’ll claim that NASCAR encouraged rough racing just to boost ratings.
Never mind that the majority of fans and media like the notion of spicing up the action and supports NASCAR’s effort to liven things up.
But NASCAR doesn’t want to see anyone hurt, and neither do fans. We like beating and banging and – admit it – we thrill to the excitement of spins and crashes. If there were no wrecks eventually there’d be no racing.
But while we like dented cars, we don’t want any dented drivers.
This is not the first time that a racing rivalry has turned ugly. Bobby Allison still harbors ill feelings toward old rival Darrell Waltrip from their battles of decades past. Bobby felt Waltrip was especially rough on his son Davey.
But the Edwards/Keselowski feud is developing into one for the ages. Both are talented, fiercely competitive young racers who are going to be batting each other for wins and championships for many years to come. It’s going to be intense. But it shouldn’t go beyond that. There has to be some limits, some boudaries.
Otherwise at some point one of them is going to pay the ultimate price and the other will be haunted by it forever.
– Larry Woody can be reached at lwoody@racintoday.com
22 Comments
Let’em race, and stop complaining. This is the most buzz nascar has had all season. And tell daddy k to shut his pie hole.
I’ve been watching racing all my life, family involved in racing alla the way to Cup series. I’ve never seen a more dangerous, out of control driver than Carl Edwards. Problem is, NASCAR as a “governing” body has failed to reign in this ego driven maniac and has sent every signal that they don’t think it’s a major concern that one guy is willing to risk the lives of drivers, fans and officials because of his road rage. It’s going to kill the sport, or someone in the sport if they don’t suspend this guy from all events for at least a month. I’m sick of all the wrecks, sick of all the excuses, and sick of Carl Edwards.
I plan on showing my disust by calling Aflac Monday morning and asking for a supervisor and let them know why my policy is cancelled effective immediately because of the freaking coward they sponsor!! And another idiot on the track is the big baby named Steven Wallace. That stupid commercial with King “dumbass” Rusty should be put in the archives of “makes people sick.”
Brian>>>> Just wanted you to know that I also have called Aflac and voiced my disgust at the way Carl acted and what he did. I also told them that this is the second time. I call after Atlanta too . Also called Scots Lawn Care. Everyone should contact sponsors.
A couple of weeks ago, Kurt Busch moved Jimmie Johnson out of the way to take the lead.
Jimmie wanted to wreck Kurt but it took him a couple of laps to catch him. Sok he cooled down and decided to simply moved Kurt out of the way and took the win.
I just wonder what all of you experts would have been saying about JJ if he had, in fact, wrecked Kurt Busch?
I suspect that most all of you who are condemning
Carl Edwards for his actions would have been praising JJ for “giving Kurt what he had coming.”
It’s clear that most of the posters on this story aren’t really race fans, they just watch it on TV, or they were directed here by Brad’s webpage.
Had to laugh at Bob Keselowski’s quivery lipped whining. One of the dirtiest drivers who ever put on a fire suit talking about “killing my boy” Cracker please. Teach your son some car control and maybe he won’t get in over his head so often.
Richard in NC, are you serious? seems to me that Carl Edwards is: “much more “skillful” (your spelling) than Brad.
Oh by the way, Edwards left with the trophy, Keselowski left with his daddy.
Oh by the way Spense>>>His boss Jack R. also left with 2
wrecked cars(6 & 16) due to that wreck Carl caused
Say what you want, no matter what Carl’s intent is, he is responsible for the results of the acts he takes – so if someone gets badly hurt, it will be Carl’s fault, regardless of intent.
Larry, are you a reporter? Could you make some calls and find out if Nascar is going to look at this disgusting situation? If Edwards gets away with this near criminal action will he become a role model for young drivers wanting to go to the Big Time?
what a classless move by Crazy Carl. I would have been ashamed to claim the iwn. If Nascar does not take action against Crazy Carl, I hope Brad broadsides him every time he gets close since Nascar approves of such assault.
I an mo Brad fan either, but I hate bulles and drivers that have to wreck someone who outruns them. Maybe Crazy Carl will someday learn how to do a bump and run without putting someone’s life in peril.
I do not see where you get Roid Rage—-Carl gets knocked about by Brad, then you expect him to back off and not race!!! Where have you guys been? Not at race tracks, local or otherwise, in the last 40 years. There is a book named “He Crashed Me So I Crashed Him Back”. The beginning stories are about incidents/wrecks prior to the formation of NASCAR and continue through the Waltrip, Allison, Petty, Pearsons, Yarbrough, and Earnhardt, Sr. years. Who ever heard of Dale Sr. not taking on a challenge or even wrecking the person in from of him (the Intimadator) because they would not get out of the way. Remember the time he wrecked Rusty, got out of his car to check on him and then went back to racing? Remember the meeting Mr. France had between Dale Sr. and Geoffrey Bodine? We do not want anyone hurt in any type of sporting events, but racing is also about competition and not giving up in the face of adversity, whether by car, by horse, on bicycle or on foot. If you do not like racing, you can stop attending races or change channels. And please do not make your judgements on one or two television clips of the race!
Can you imagine how Hard Earnhardt Sr. would have hit Keslowski if he caught up with him after a “bump and run”?
Personally, I think Carl is doing exactly the right thing.
Having driven races cars in the mid 60s and the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, I can tell you for sure that if you tried to bump someone out of the way for the win, and he was able to catch back up with you by the end of the race. You “WOULD” be wrecked.
BK is an agressive driver but he’s learning quickly that if you live by the sword, you die by the sword.
“But crashes like that – and an equally-frightening ride Keselowsi took last year at Talladega after a similar Edwards tap – is pushing everyone’s luck.”
Uh, Woody, I think you need to review this statement. You have it completely backwards. I’m not taking up for Crazy Carl, mind you. I just want you to have the facts straight for those who may not know what has precipitated this madness. Crazy Carl’s time is coming for sure.
Carl tested for drugs after the race? He has shown ‘roid rage’ before. Curious as to what Jack Roush said. Did he lose any cars in the big wreck caused by Carl? Aflac cannot be happy with this event. Carl should lose all points for this race.
I suspect it really is that Carl just lets his temper get the best of him – but just maybe Brad is much more skillful at car control than Carl.
Brad has to take care of this himself. At the next drivers meeting I would warn all the other drivers to steer clear when me and Carl are on the track near each other. Then I would tell Carl you can count on me costing you a championship if you ever have a chance to win one and then I would apoligize to Jack Roush at the same time. Then the next time he was on the track near me he would be wrecked. Then I would tell Carl the next move is his.
Carl Edwards = Roid Rage
The guy clearly needs anger management counseling.
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Larry,
I’m sorry, but get a fact checker. Your line: “an equally-frightening ride Keselowsi took last year at Talladega after a similar Edwards tap – is pushing everyone’s luck.” Edwards’ car went airborne at Talladega, not Keselowski’s. Or maybe you meant to write “Atlanta” instead of “Talladega”. Doubt it.
And let’s remember that Keselowski punted Edwards at Talladega and twice in the Nationwide series. Going for the win. Where were your calls for Keselowski to be punished after he almost did send Edwards’ car into the stands?
Just like with your constant swipes at Kyle Busch for not giving you quotes when he’s pissed, you do a disservice to journalism when you bend (or ignore) facts to fit your agenda. Very disappointed.
Yeah, if you watch that replay, Mr. Ed(wards) cut down to block Brad and wrecked himself, the same way Kyle Busch did with Tony Stewart last year in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona. Brad id not punt Mr. Ed(wards) at Talladega.
Larry, it was Edwards that went into the fence at Dega last year. Keso rode Edwards’ bumper into the fence earlier this year at Atlanta.