Commentary by: Mark Rogers, Jr. ~ [email protected]

Williamsburg, VA(October 29, 2011) — If you’re that hardcore every weekend fan or the occasional just checking them out kind of fans, by now, you have all heard those terms used to describe an aggressive and sometimes reckless manner of racing.

It’s kind of funny sometimes how racers who get the worst end of the deal always wind up calling the other guy an idiot, gutless or a jackass for the way that they drive. There are many more adjectives to describe the individual that’s for sure. But, let’s just think on this a bit, ponder on what’s appropriate and what’s unpardonable that ultimately can lead to retaliation. Now I have spoken with many racers on the issue and believe it or not, they all have different opinions.

From what I can see for myself, racers who are successful and are highly competitive tend to have less patience and tolerance for foolishness. Not that the guys who struggle with there setups on race day don’t draw those lines too. Trust me, they can loose their cool in a heartbeat. But, racing up front seems to have some sort of etiquette to it all. So let’s just talk about those lines, hard racing, rough driving and the bump and run.

Hard Racing:
Now mind you, this is just my opinion. I’m no professional racer but I’m good at raising a spirited debate. Hard racing to me involves the elements of beating and banging that tends to give favorable and unfavorable results for the two that engage in such. Usually when two cars that are fairly equal where neither can complete a pass without contact. The battle for the spot can last for several laps, racing side by side and leaving the all too familiar donut on the door of the opponent. There’s times where you’ll see smoke come from the tires rubbing against each other. Sometimes, they can wreck each other.

For the fans in the stands this type of racing is exciting and thrilling to watch. For the drivers it tends to raise the anxiety as the side by side racing continues. Many things can go wrong in hard racing, cutting a tire can definitely happen. Bashing in a fender on the tire happens as well. We hear of valve stems being torn off the wheels and knocking the toe out on the steering. Results from a case of hard racing can be devastating, but well understood by racers as a necessary evil in making there way to the front. This is why I am a huge fan of hard racing. All out, foot to the floor, going for the spot hard racing.

It’s what I as a race fan come to the track to see! Now, I’m probably going to start a war with some of you here. But the battle that Phillip Morris and Lee Pulliam had at the big race at SOBO when Pulliam spun. To me, that’s hard racing. Yes I’m very aware of the history between the two but what I saw was champions not willing to give nothing in their battle. They both knew what was at stake and were willing to take those chances. Unfortunately for Pulliam, after several laps of side by side racing, Morris drove his car into turn three a bit harder and got into Pulliam sending the 2011 Motor Mile champ on around. Hard racing doesn’t always yield favorable results but for the fans it’s a guaranteed thrill and a prelude of something much bigger to come.

Rough Driving:
My definition of rough driving is as simple as it is for a politician to just vote. Especially in the big races where prestige, money and grandfather clocks are all on the line. Rough driving is a blatant attempt to eliminate the fundamentals of racing with a premeditated intent to cause damage or a favorable result for the one who commits the act. In short�wrecking your opponent. Typically rough driving derives from a previous race battle where some hard racing took place. We’ve seen it all before, could have happened just a few laps ago, could have happened as far back as last year. Do I need to mention any names? Rough driving can strike at anytime on any lap as long as there’s motivation and the guts to do it.

For the racer accused, I believe it’s an overwhelming emotional loss of control where the consequence is never given a single thought. Now don’t get me wrong, the racer knows exactly what he’s doing and knows just how he’s going to do it. What he never thinks of at the time is how the tracks race director sees it. The consequences from the race director could be a simple verbal warning. Race directors are known to send the accused to the rear of the field for the restart too. If the occurrences are multiple in a race it’s not uncommon for the racer to be black flagged and parked. By this time, considerations of fines and possible suspensions could result. I think a great example of rough driving occurred on lap 293 of the Danville Toyota 300 when Pulliam gets into the lapped car of Dennis Holdren.

Though there’s no reason to suspect actual aggression towards Holdren personally, you just can’t run over a slower car especially when there was room on the outside to go around. So I think it’s fair to say that Pulliam needed a caution in order to have a shot at winning or arguably a shot to get to Morris. Bottom line the spin was intentional and it’s rough driving. Pulliam should have been sent to the rear and verbally warned by the race director of his actions. Just a thought, could action against Pulliam for the caution on lap 293 prevented the post race altercation on the track or maybe even change the severity of Pulliam’s actions against Morris on the backstretch?

I just wonder if it would have happened at all and just become a big mess down in the pits. I know this, I really wish for Pulliam that things went down on pit road or behind pit wall and not on the backstretch. Well, that’s my take on rough driving and from what I saw I could give you about four or five other examples of rough driving during that race. But that’s how it has to go sometimes in racing. Wish it didn’t!

The Bump and Run:
If some good ol hard racing or some wild and crazy rough driving don’t get you fired up. The fine art and considered by many a technique conveniently called the Bump and Run will. If you’re a race fan and that still doesn’t excite you, then friend you have no pulse. The bump and run when executed perfectly loosens up your opponent just enough to upset the handling of his car and takes away the line your competitor feels he needs to hold you off. Thus allowing you to get to his inside and getting back into the throttle quicker than he can, therefore motoring on by. Mind you that the bump and run can take place at any position in the field, it’s when it happens that gives it such appeal.

I’m talking about that last lap pass coming out of turn four to win the race bump and run. But all too many times we’ve seen this move performed when it isn’t done on the last lap on the final turn. This is where the controversy begins and the bitterness of being had. I mean, how would you feel if you worked your way into the lead for a win, lead laps, kept your nose clean all day only to be moved over on the last lap and lose. You bet there’s a ton of emotion afterwards but why is the bump and run considered to be fair game? Or is it? What’s unique is the timing and the severity of the bump and run. I think for racers the expectation from there competitors is that it only happens on the final lap.

However, the last chance effort to do the move could easily slip away and an opportunity to win goes with it. So how about two or three laps to go? Fact is you may not get to dictate the opportunity, so for the chance to win, take home the cash and the kiss from the pretty girl. You make your move when you can as soon as you can. You can always apologize for it later and say something nice about the guy in victory lane when you’re doing your interview.

But let’s get real, the bump and run or whatever title you give it, is flat out rough and dirty racing. You do it because you know that you can’t get by without it. What’s so intriguing to me is that the racers know the repercussions yet risk it all for the win and the cash that comes with it. First place pays big and for second you don’t get squat!