Red mist in the Irish Hills

By DAVID GREEN

Most visitors to this blog probably realize that I take a dim view of the "bump and run" as a deliberate tactic for a driver to use in trying to get past an opponent. Many of you may also know that I think there's a difference between the cold-blooded use of that maneuver and the incidental, truly accidental contact that often occurs in hard, close racing.

Let me quickly acknowledge that it is often difficult, if not impossible, for anybody other than the guy with the steering wheel in his hands and the pedals under his feet to know whether an incident was one or the other.

Which leads us to that Busch Series race at MIS today, and its wild finish. The verdict, according to demonstrative fans in the Michigan grandstands, was thumbs-down for Dale Jr.

Anybody should be able to understand how and why Carl Edwards was white-phosphorus incendiary after he was spun out of the lead by Junior. Regardless of whether it was deliberate or reckless or completely accidental, Edwards was the victim, just the same.

Some of you may think I'm splitting hairs to discern between a purposeful "dumping" and accidental contact that yields the same result. But I believe there is a difference, and I believe when you race with other guys, in a regular professional series or even in weekend-warrior conditions, you get a feel for how the other guys race you.

I've never lined up and raced with Junior or Carl, but neither of them strikes me as the kind of driver who would put your car in his sights and coldly knock you out of competition. Both would race you fiercely enough that they might put you (and themselves, as well) into the SAFER barrier or the infield from overzealousness, but not deliberately and not as a tactic that they believe is accepted as legitimate.

Carl used the bump-and-run to beat Elliott Sadler in a Busch Series race at Richmond not too long ago, and as I recall, he seemed a little more contrite than some guys -- especially the B&R king, Jeff Gordon. Maybe Carl is just a good actor; I don't know. Nobody knows but Carl, but personally, I think as a rule he remains above that sort of dirty driving.

I feel the same way about Junior. The Intimidator's son, y'all remember, is the guy who stayed out of the throttle long enough to give Ryan Newman a chance to regain control on the final lap of The Winston during Newman's rookie year. Many drivers would have taken Newman's bobble as an excuse and would have finished him off, then headed for victory lane. Junior lost the race, but earned a lot of respect that Saturday night.

Then there was that time a couple of years ago at Atlanta, when Edwards got into Earnhardt from behind and sent the Budweiser Chevy spinning wildly out of control. Carl apologized, and Junior pretty much shrugged that one off, as I recall.

It was different today at Michigan. We'll see what comes out of the day's events, but one thing is certain -- NASCAR cannot let Edwards' body-slam of the 8 car go without some serious punishment. Junior says he never saw it coming and had his hand out the window when Edwards hit him.

I was at Charlotte many years ago when, during a multicar crash at the exit of Turn 4, one driver's arm somehow snaked through the window net (they were much more primitive and less effective in those days) and hung down limply outside the sheet metal when another car slammed into him. The driver lost his arm.

Every time someone loses control and retaliates in such a manner as Edwards did today, and as he did against Tony Stewart at New Hampshire, we put our sport in jeopardy of a reprise of that grisly moment at Charlotte -- only this time, it won't be an accident. And somebody's going to lose a lot more than his left arm.