Content by: Langley Austin ~ [email protected] (@langleyaustin on twitter)
List Compiled by RACE22.com Staff and Industry Experts
Copper Hill, VA(December 30, 2011) — A rivalry is defined as “Competition for the same objective or for superiority in the same field.”, which pretty much defines every racer in every race, but in racing a rivalry is more of when one driver goes head to head with another, sometimes both on and off the racetrack .
We define a rivalry when two or more drivers fight it out week after week as animosity builds between them, a war of words might ensue, a fleeting moment may arise on the track where the two or more lose control mentally and give the fans something to cheer about. Some rivalries are carried out throughout a season or even a career while others last for, but a moment and are some of the most memorable moments in racing.
The 2011 season may have been one more about domination, but as always in Late Model Stock Car racing, there were plenty of rivalries and here’s the best of them ……
11 – Barry Beggarly VS Rodney Cook
When the 2011 season started, it was highly likely that Rodney Cook would find his way on to this list for the third or fourth season in a row. There was really no doubt, but what is always in doubt is who Cook will end up on this list with and it seems every year, he adds a friend or two to this list. Last year it was him and Dustin Rumley and while Rumley didn’t make the list with his bout with Jeb Burton, Cook added an unlikely character to his arsenal of enemies. Barry Beggarly … yeah, the same Barry Beggarly, who is a legend in Late Model Stock Car racing and has a reputation of being a cool, calm and collected driver, who rarely gets into with anyone. Either Cook can get under anyone’s skin or Ace Speedway, just has a habit of bringing out the “best” in it’s racers.
10 – BJ Mackey VS Frank Deiny, Jr.
If you didn’t really pay attention, you wouldn’t even know that this rivalry was going on. Frank Deiny, Jr. and BJ Mackey don’t often race against one another, but it seems both have a little hate for the other. In the season opener at Caraway Speedway, after Mackey changed tire(s) under caution and came back to finish second in the race, Deiny had a few choice words for his fellow driver. ‘He’s not as good as he thinks he is, he still didn’t win,” said Deiny referring to him changing multiple tires, which wasn’t allowed by track rules. To which Mackey responded later in the season with a “Frank … Frank who” comment following the finish of the Myrtle Beach 400. Maybe, Deiny got the last laugh in this deal as after Mackey made his comments following the Myrtle Beach 400, he was disqualified from the race.
9 – Matt McCall VS Lee Pulliam
Matt McCall has been known to be involved in a rivalry or two over the years and despite running only a handful of races, he still managed to be right in the middle of it all. In the biggest race of the Late Model Stock Car season, the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300 at Martinsville Speedway, the biggest stage of all at this level, that’s where McCall had his time to shine this season. He put his car out front in the race when it counted and looked to be headed to victory lane until a series of late cautions put Lee Pulliam in a position to move him in turn three headed to the checkered flag. McCall was upset to lose the race, coming to the checkered flag, but Pulliam was elated to take the $25k prize, the two had a little discussion in victory lane and McCall isn’t going to forget this soon … this one isn’t over.
8 – The Waltz Brothers VS Doug Godsey
Sometimes as we said rivalries involve more than two people and that was the case at Langley Speedway on June 4th, when Matt and Kyle Waltz ended up into with resident “bad boy”, Doug Godsey in two separate yet associated incidents. Matt Waltz, started up on the front row and was taken out in a lap one incident after contact from Godsey and Waltz decided to confront Godsey in his pit under the yellow flag. This resulted in Matt getting shoved by Godsey and a fight ensuing from there, Godsey also cussed Matt Waltz on the tracks PA in an interview. In the second race with Matt out, Kyle Waltz found himself getting into the back of Godsey, which caused another crash with Godsey. In the following week, both the Waltz boys were suspended for one race and fined, yet Godsey went unpunished and that would be the last of this rivalry as the Waltz brothers traveled around and didn’t return to Langley.
7 – Frank Deiny, Jr. VS Lee Pulliam
Frank Deiny, Jr. isn’t afraid to make “friends” at the race track, after all his name has appeared on this list nearly as much as Rodney Cook has over the years and this year he again made the list. Deiny made “friends” with Kris Bowen and Adam Long at the end of the season, which narrowly missed the list, but he also found himself making a friend out of Lee Pulliam, who isn’t afraid to make friends of his own. Deiny, who was tired of getting beat by Pulliam and finishing second, set out to get to victory lane and didn’t shy away from old school tactics to get there. While leading a race on July 23rd, Deiny was about to be passed by Pulliam when mysteriously his foot slipped from the gas pedal and Pulliam slammed him from behind. The damage to Pulliam’s car was enough to keep him from coming back to challenge for the win and Deiny ended the night in victory lane. These two wouldn’t get into again this season, but as always with Deiny, this one isn’t about to be over just yet …..
6 – George Meidecke VS Kyle Grissom
Australian born, George Meidecke did pretty much everything he set out to do in the 2011 season as a rookie in the UARA-STARS Series. He sat on the pole more times than anyone and though he never won a race, was a threat to do so every week, but his best chance at victory was wiped away when he crashed Kyle Grissom on the last lap for the lead. Grissom, known to be a fierce competitor and not afraid to mix it up with his competitors off the track managed to keep a level head following the event when Meidecke spun him out of the lead on the final lap at Kingsport. Though these two never got into it again on the track, a tense moment was had between the two on set for the LIVE RACE22.com Radio show, where they had a discussion before going on air.
5 – Candace Muzny VS Jessica Brunelli
There’s nothing like a good “cat fight” to get everyone’s blood pumping and it was the perfect storm on season opening night at Hickory Motor Speedway as two of the more talented female racers in the region got together on the track. Candace Muzny and Jessica Brunelli got together in the final laps of the second twin race on opening night at Hickory, which led to Candace punching at Jessica through the drivers window following the incident. It was all captured on video and is available on youtube for everyone to see and was one of the more intense moments of the season at Hickory.
4 – Kyle Grissom VS Andy Mercer
Following the final laps of the Dwight Huffman Memorial, while Ronnie Bassett, Jr. was in victory lane, the fans were watching a “beat down” as Kyle Grissom and crew invaded the pit area of Andy Mercer and assaulted him and his crew. Grissom was apparently upset over some contact during the race and frustrated with his struggles this season, turned violent following the race. It was over as quick as it started, but Mercer and his team had the bumps and bruises to remember it by.
3 – Natalie Sather VS Jeb Burton & Rodney Cook
Female drivers often tend to end up in battles with male drivers as they feel slighted by them or not respected and they often aren’t respected. Natalie Sather is one of those such females, who found her fair share of battles this season with male counterparts at South Boston Speedway, where she was often up front and in contention. Sather had the speed, but often found herself using the front bumper to move by her male competitors out of the way and on such an occasion or two, they ended up mad at her for it. Rodney Cook was the first to get into with her, which led to his suspension from NASCAR and later, Jeb Burton threw a cone at her in anger following an incident, which ultimately led to his suspension as well. Sather certainly made her share of friends this season …
2 – Nate Monteith VS Lee Tissot & Daniel Pope II
One of the best rivalries of the year came at Kingsport Speedway, where during the early to mid part of the season, Nate Monteith and Lee Tissot spun each other from the lead and one of Tissot’s supporters eventually was hauled off by police following the race. Monteith claimed Tissot’s shocks following the race under a “claimer rule” and from there the verbal banter went back and forth before the cops were called. Then, the two took to the airwaves on RACE22 Radio as they talked about the incident and went at it again. Though, they never got together this much again, the tension was there all season long as they were going for the championship and even threw Daniel Pope II, who was battling with them for the title into the mix as well. It was one of the best three way rivalries in recent memory and if all three return to the track in 2012, it’s not likely to end anytime soon.
1 – Lee Pulliam VS Philip Morris
It’s not too often that a rivalry spans the course of an entire year, but that’s exactly what happened with Lee Pulliam and Philip Morris. Morris, made the move to Sellers Racing to get the setup that Lee Pulliam was beating him with at South Boston and when he did he immediately dominated at Martinsville in the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300 and then moved Pulliam from the lead at South Boston in the season finale there. Following that, Pulliam left Sellers and moved on his own and the two went toe to toe again at South Boston, then at Motor Mile, then back at SoBo, again at Motor Mile, at Martinsville and as the season came to an end, again at South Boston. That’s where the frustration boiled over, Pulliam, who was fresh off of his Martinsville win, was spun while battling for the lead with Morris with less than 60 laps to go. He came back to finish third, but wasn’t about to let Morris run over him without giving it back to him when after the checkered flag he spun him and then rammed him head on. We all know the story from there, with an altercation involving Morris and Pulliam’s crew on pit road and Pulliam was eventually suspended indefinitely and then his suspension was reduced. With Pulliam coming back after May 1st, this rivalry isn’t likely over and it’s likely to only to continue to get more intense with two of the top talents in LMSC racing battling it out.
Ok, so there you have the “Best Rivalries” of the 2011 season, but don’t think we’re done, we’re still bringing more review of the 2011 season your way over the next few days. Stay tuned.
