Five Greatest NASCAR Feuds Ever Some Drivers Will Do Whatever It Takes To Win

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Todd Pheifer, Contributing writer

Anyone who has watched auto racing knows that things can get a little heated out on the track, and this does not apply just to the tires or the temperature of the engines.

The goal is to win the race, and some drivers are willing to do just about anything to get that checkered flag.

Of course, there are athletes in every sport who feel that the game should be played with a certain ethical standard. The problem is that "should" is not in the vocabulary of some competitive drivers, which means that bumping opponents out of the way is just part of racing.

Here are a few examples of fights and disagreements that have turned into long-term rivalries and feuds in the sport of auto racing.

First Up: Racing Is A Contact Sport >>

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NASCAR Feud No. 5

Jaws Versus The Intimidator

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Dale Earnhardt Sr. was known as the "Intimidator," and he was not afraid of conflict, both on and off the track. Throughout his successful career he battled many drivers and the NASCAR organization with a rugged determination that made him a legend.

In 1986 at Richmond, the aggressive Earnhardt dealt with then-rival Darrell "Jaws" Waltrip by running into the back of Darrell's car and putting him into the guardrail. After the race, Waltrip suggested that Dale was trying to kill him with that maneuver.

Of course, earlier in their careers Waltrip had told one media outlet that it didn't really matter what he said about Earnhardt in the newspaper because Dale couldn't read anyway. It is clear that these one-time rivals did not like each other.

No one ever said that professional drivers played nice.

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NASCAR Feud No. 4

Helmets Have Many Uses

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Many family trees have become intertwined in the world of auto racing. If a driver took on a competitor, he might have to deal with a father, brother, or cousin. Fighting the rest of the family might occur in the pit or during the actual race.

In 1979 at the Daytona 500, Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison were fighting for the lead when the two cars bumped and smashed each other right out of the race.

Donnie's brother Bobby finished the race and then went back to help his brother, only to find Donnie and Cale arguing. Cale greeted Bobby's arrival by hitting him in the face with his helmet. This led to a three-person fistfight that was broadcast on national television to a very entertained viewing audience.

This is why golf, and not auto racing, is considered a gentleman's sport.

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NASCAR Feud No. 3

Habitually Hot-Headed Harvick

Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

Racing leagues like rivalries because it draws fans to the sport.

However, those leagues also don't want things to get out of hand, so they often let things play out to a certain extent while closely monitoring the situation.

After Dale Earnhardt's untimely death, Kevin Harvick took over as the driver most likely to get in fights with people. Harvick has fought with the likes of Tony Stewart, Robby Gordon, Kurt Busch, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, and Ricky Rudd.

One of Kevin's most spectacular conflicts came in 2003, when Rudd bumped Harvick into a spin, causing Kevin to drop from second place to his eventual finish in 16th. Harvick's crew tried to stop him, but Kevin was determined to go after Ricky. With Rudd still in his car, Harvick hurled his head-and-neck restraint at Ricky and then proceeded to jump on top of Rudd's vehicle.

Up Next: No Autographs Please >>

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NASCAR Feud No. 2

You Dare To Challenge The King?

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Richard "The King" Petty had his share of battles over the years with Bobby Allison as the two bumped and bruised their way through many races. Of course, it was Richard's brother Maurice who did some of the physical damage off the track after trying to attack Allison in 1968.

Four years later, Petty and Allison had another epic battle during the Wilkes 400. The two drivers slammed and smashed their way to the finish, with Petty barely beating Allison's smoking vehicle.

After the race, Maurice Petty was at it again.

This time a fan approached Richard for an autograph. Thinking the fan was an Allison supporter, Maurice hit the fan over the head with Richard's helmet.

Who would have thought that asking for an autograph could be so dangerous?

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NASCAR Feud No. 1

That Went Over Like A Brick





Racers might understand that tangling with a racing family might mean disputes with sons and brothers of the rival driver. But how about wives?

Tiny Lund, who at 6-foot-5 and 280 pounds was not exactly "Tiny," found himself fighting the whole Petty family in 1957. The dispute was not exactly "petty," as a fight with Lee soon included the Petty sons, Richard and Maurice.

Ironically, Lund was driving a car owned by Petty, but the two could not agree on Tiny's compensation for racing. As if three Petty men weren't enough, Tiny soon found himself being hit in the head by the purse of Lee's wife, Elizabeth.

Though never proven, Tiny claimed that Elizabeth had a brick in that deadly purse.

In some racing circles, the entire family is involved in all aspects of the sport, even driver-to-driver combat

[Heartman]

Kurt Busch and Jimmy Spencer had a good feud going. They kept crashing each other on the track for several races and Spencer punched Busch in the garage while Kurt was still sitting in his car.