Nascar's Vengeance Scale--Part 3 of 3

8—Tony Stewart vs. the Media
--The Beverage Wars. Remember, the whole Powerade-Gatorade feud was THE top story in the sport for several consecutive weeks.
--Jimmy Spencer on Kurt Busch. Kurt starts it with his legendary “decrepit old has-been” comment. Much later, Jimmy decides he’s had enough, and sucker-punches a car-bound Kurt, earning him a one-race suspension. At the time, most thought that Jimmy’s actions were WAY over the line. Of course, now that we know what kind of person Kurt Busch is…

9—Alan Kulwicki on Common Sense. If you told someone new to the sport that an “outsider” driver, running his own team, just months away from zero sponsorship, and running against Davey Allison and Bill Elliott, won the championship, they wouldn’t believe you. Still the most unbelievable thing this sport has seen (besides, of course, Jocko Flocko).
--Dale Earnhardt Jr. vs. Todd Bodine. This one somehow slipped through the cracks over the years, but it remains a stinging act of vengeance for one word: “Cue ball”. You can mock a man’s failures, you can mock a man’s style. You can mock a man’s beliefs, methods, even his lifestyle. But you never, EVER, mock a man’s hairline (or lack thereof).
--Robby Gordon on Michael Waltrip. Would’ve been more surprising if this HADN’T happened—a single-car driver-owner desperately trying to make races, while an Earnhardt hanger-on coasts on cushy sponsorship.

10—“Them Battlin’ Bodines”. Todd got involved too, but it was Geoff vs. Brett that captured the Nascar world’s imagination. Eventually it led to an intervention on Montel Williams. No, seriously.
--Bill France vs. Unionization. Quick version—driver Curtis Turner attempted to unionize the drivers in the 60’s, but made two crucial errors: 1.) doing it in a sport where the France family had complete control, and 2.) aligning himself with Jimmy Hoffa. Turner was summarily banned for life, and France held a drivers meeting shortly after, threatening more bans for anyone who tried to unionize. He purposely left his jacket unbuttoned so everyone could see what he was carrying—a loaded pistol.
--Nascar vs. Open-wheel racing. According to legend, Bill France went to Indy to check out the track on an off-weekend. He wasn’t allowed in, and then vowed to build his own track. A few years later, Daytona is built, and a few decades later, Nascar is the #1 spectator sport in the nation—with a little help from vengeance.