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Controversial Edwards triggers another scuffle
See the fight
Photos: Kevin Harvick's scuffle with Carl Edwards in the garage definitely got physical. Check out these photos of the fight to see how it all went down.
According to witnesses, Harvick was having a discussion with David Ragan when Edwards approached him. Ragan said, "I thought I better get out of there before things got ugly."
Apparently they did. Edwards pushed Harvick, who pushed back, witnesses said. Edwards landed on the hood and all hell broke out between the teams in the garage.
"We had a heated debate," said NASCAR Nationwide Series director Joe Balash. "But it's all cool now."
When FOXSports.com asked Harvick what happened, his response was "ask Carl." Edwards refused to comment on the situation other than to say he spoke "man-to-man" with Harvick between practices.
"The deal with me and Harvick is between me and him and I'm not talking about it," Edwards said. "We know where each other stands and that's it. We took care of it privately. I think that's the way to do it ... to see how everyone feels.
"I go out there and race as hard as I can, I do everything I can just like all these guys and sometimes it doesn't work out the best. There are going to be people who have opinions or feel a certain way and that's the way it is."
After Edwards triggered a 12-car wreck on Lap 174 at Talladega last week — a crash that involved Harvick, Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth — the reactions toward the driver of the No. 99 Ford were not too flattering.
"We talked Sunday night," Biffle said. "I know he didn't mean to do it. Certainly he didn't want to wreck himself because that's what he did, he wrecked himself. Certainly that wasn't his intention and I understand that.
"All we can do is learn from it and go on and move forward. There's nothing I'm gonna do about it now. I've lost the points. We've wrecked the cars and it's gonna do no good to point fingers and say we should have done this or that. It's just move on and do the best we can in the future."
Kenseth said he and Edwards have put their altercation from Martinsville last fall behind them and the teammates' "relationship is fine." But the 2003 Cup champion didn't mince words regarding the wreck.
"You knew there would be wrecks and some of that stuff is gonna happen," Kenseth said. "I was disappointed it happened because we were almost out of contention and I thought we were gonna have a good day and gain some points and maybe be a contender again if we could get it back around 100 points or something like that, and then we got wiped out.
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Analysis:
"I was disappointed. I thought that Carl knew better. He's been preaching the stuff about being careful and working together and teammates and all this stuff, so I was disappointed it happened, but yet it was an accident and that stuff will happen."
Harvick wasn't nearly as gracious as Edwards' Roush Fenway teammates. Following the wreck last week, Harvick told reporters, "I know that his fans won't be very proud of him sitting back there riding around like a pansy. If he had been racing all day, maybe he would have known how long the front of his car was."
"Maybe he should have raced the rest of the day. I know that his fans won't be very proud of him sitting back there riding around like a pansy. But when he got up there and decided to start racing, it caused a big wreck."
Edwards took offense at Harvick's comments and left a note (obtained by the Charlotte Observer) with Harvick's pilot that read:
"Kevin, Thanks for (disparaging) me on TV. I was really trying to screw up everyone's day! Love, Carl"
Edwards feels that his relationship with Kenseth has improved greatly since the Martinsville incident and the Roush Fenway drivers work "together more than (they) ever have" and didn't believe last week's incident would affect the progress he's made with his teammates.
Edwards' biggest concern was the repercussions in the point standings. While Edwards', Biffle's and Kenseth's positions did not move, all three Roush drivers took massive hits in points after not finishing the Talladega race. Edwards trailed Jimmie Johnson by 10 points entering Talladega. That deficit grew to 72 points following the wreck.
"I hope those aren't the points that cost everybody really big," Edwards said. "I hope we can make them up. I appreciate Greg telling me that it was a mistake, not an intentional deal. I'm sure he was mad, but he was real nice to me.
"Jack and I talked about it and he just wanted to make sure that I understood, and I do now — more than ever — understood how bad that was for everyone — not just me but everybody involved. That's just a terrible result from a day there."
The 29-year-old Columbia, Mo., native is one of the most talented and charismatic racers in the garage, but he continues to be a lightning rod for controversy. His defense?
"I'm just a passionate guy and I stand up for what I think is right," Edwards said. "That's how I am. That's how I've always been and that's just the way I'm gonna continue to be. That's how I race and I stand up for myself when I believe it."
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