Click Here To Find Cool Nascar Items!

One of the biggest storylines of the 2010 season has been the conflict we’ve seen between high caliber teammates.  First, it was Jeff Gordon taking exception to some moves that Jimmie Johnson made at Texas and Talladega.  Both races resulted in destroyed race cars for the Dupont team, and Gordon didn’t hesitate to tell everyone who he thought was at fault.  It appeared that even Gordon was starting to suffer from the JJ fatigue that some fans complained about regularly.  The most recent example we’ve seen is the trouble brewing between Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch following a run-in at the All Star race.  Busch felt Hamlin blocked him on a late race pass attempt, and subsequent contact with the wall would later result in a cut tire for Busch.  Since the incident, the feud appears to be an on-again, off-again affair, with each driver taking shots at the other via the media.

In both cases, some were calling for Rick Hendrick and Joe Gibbs to step in and fix the situation between their drivers.  The fear was that conflict between the drivers would hurt the organization as a whole.  While I don’t know the extent to which both got involved, I’m sure there was at least conversations that happened.  I’m not so sure they were necessary though.

Unlike traditional sports, it’s not vital to the success of a race team for teammates to get along.  If Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin never speak again, there is no reason to think they couldn’t still contend for championships.  The people within a race team who’s collaboration is necessary to success are the crew chiefs, mechanics, and engineers.  They need to share information and work together towards making the equipment better.  That is where races and championships are won.  Besides at maybe a restrictor plate track, drivers like Hamlin and Busch don’t work together on track anyway.

Where a problem between two teammates could become an issue, is if the conflict spreads from the drivers to the teams.  There have been cases before where two teammates have tangled on track, and the incident spawned discontent between guys on the teams and in the shop.  When the teams quit working together, the advantages of being a multi-car operation go away.  I actually wrote a post about this exact topic a few years ago (see it here).

If I’m Mr. H. or Coach Gibbs in either of these situations, I’m monitoring my employees to ensure the conflict doesn’t spread.  I may also step in to make sure that these “feuds” aren’t affecting my sponsors.  And while I certainly don’t want my drivers to hate each other, I don’t mind if they don’t hang out when they leave the race track.  Besides, a little rivalry between my guys might actually push them to be better.

What are your thoughts?  If you are a fan of a driver that has tangled with a teammate, were you worried about how it would affect the team?  What would you do if you were an owner and two of your drivers tangled?

TheNASCARInsiders.com

Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!

Click Here To Find Cool Nascar Items!

It was the feud to end all feuds. Two teammates going at it. Cars were wrecked. Races were lost. Fists were thrown. Blood was shed…

…Ok so maybe it wasn’t the feud of all feuds, and there weren’t any fists thrown (as far as I know), but the way some were talking last week you’d think Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon were NASCAR’s version of the Hatfields and McCoys. Rick Hendrick even stepped into the middle of their little spat so the two could talk out their problems. Hendrick said he didn’t want the ‘feud’ to start ‘breaking apart the organization.’ As I write this I can’t help but giggle (yes, I just wrote the word ‘giggle’).

Is Jeff Gordon spouting off to the media and being frustrated with his teammate really going to break the team apart? Maybe if it went on for a long time (and I mean long time) – but what are the odds that would happen? Jeff is, after all, the one who brought Jimmie to Hendrick.

I think Jeff Gordon had every right to be ticked off at his teammate. Two weeks in a row he gets into it with Jimmie – the incident at Talladega got him caught up in a wreck. If Jeff wants to express his displeasure with Jimmie, what’s the problem? On top of that, hasn’t it been great to see Jeff with a little spark lately? He’s like a new man.

If anything this could have been a good moment for these two teams. What’s better than a little competition? If that frustration could have helped push Jeff past the hump, why not let it continue, in moderation.

After the race this weekend, Jeff didn’t seem like a man too frustrated with his position. Now I’m not questioning Jeff’s passion or fight, but for a guy who’s led 599 laps this season without a win he’s pretty chipper. I think I’d almost rather see him fired up and upset with second place – more in the spirit of Kyle Busch or a younger Jeff Gordon.

All in all I think this was much ado about nothing. Was Jeff frustrated with Jimmie? Yeah he was, but this wasn’t a feud. In all reality this could have been used as an opportunity to get Gordon fired up. Unfortunately I think it was a moment lost.

TheNASCARInsiders.com

Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!