In addition to our more serious categories like the Best Appearing, Best Drivers, Best Races and others, we’ve decided to add a lighter category. This is the Best Rivalries of the season and this could be a rivalry that’s still going strong, one that flamed out or one that only last race or two, but these are the ones who stood out to us …
10th — Forrest Reynolds vs The Dutch Inn
Thursday night before the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300 at Martinsville Speedway isn’t usually the talk of the track on Friday, but after a rowdy night at the famous Dutch Inn, that’s exactly what was on everyone’s mind during pre-race inspection. It seems on that Friday night Forrest Reynolds had a scuffle with another team and it left him with two black eyes, but didn’t put him out of action this weekend.
9th — Jonathan Cash vs Matt McCall
Jonathan Cash and Matt McCall don’t have a long lasting history of feuding, but on the evening of Saturday, November 6th that changed. Late in the race the two drivers, who appeared to have the cars to beat tangled for the lead. It took both drivers out and McCall was visbily upset. The next time they raced each other Cash spun off the bumper of McCall’s car and while Cash didn’t retaliate this one might not be over.
8th — Garrett Campbell vs Clint King
Garrett Campbell’s first run-in of the season was July 2nd at Lonesome Pine Raceway’s UARA-STARS Series event. There he and Clint King had a crazy battle for much of the race before finally contact from King turned Campbell and put him out of the race. From there Campbell chased down King’s crew chief, Ricky Bryant before cooler heads prevailed.
7th — Philip Morris vs Lee Pulliam
This battle didn’t turn ugly off the track aside from some spearing words from Lee Pulliam, but when Philip Morris moved Pulliam out of the way at South Boston in the Danville Toyota 300 for the win, sparks flew. Pulliam was enraged and made angry comments after coming home second and threatened to put Morris “Head on into the wall”, so this one may linger into 2011.
6th — Ronnie Bassett, Jr. vs Clint King
This rivalry goes back long before these two jumped into Late Model Stock Cars as these guys had battles in Bandoleros and spilled off the track a few times. This year it seemed as if there were going to get along, but on the final weekend of the season the rivalry was renewed. Apparent contact from Bassett turned King at The Rock and later the issue blew up in the pits. No punches were thrown, but this rivalry isn’t like over yet.
5th — Caleb Holman vs Nate Monteith
Some rivalries tear up cars, some have punches being thrown, some there is just some jaw-jacking amongst the teams and then there’s others that have all of that and leaves some of the players banned from the race track. That was exactly the case for Caleb Holman and Nate Monteith, when the two crashed while racing for the lead and then played demo derby soon after and when that wasn’t enough there were flying bodies and chairs.
4th — Jason York vs Garrett Campbell
Rivalries often come to a head in one race and then spill over into the next one or simply stop with some heated comments. Jason York had made contact with Garrett Campbell at Ace Speedway and it wasn’t until later in the season at Myrtle Beach that Garrett Campbell returned the favor. Campbell didn’t shy away from admitting that it was on purpose, but left York with no races in the season to retaliate, so 2011 … here they come.
3rd — Andy Mercer vs Kyle Mansch
Andy Mercer’s had a few conflicts over the past several seasons with some of the guys he’s been racing for wins and championships at Hickory Motor Speedway. Mercer and Andy Loden had a big rivalry in 2008, but it pailed in comparison to the rivalry this season with former friend, Kyle Mansch. This rivalry wasn’t expected as Mansch had been a member of Mercer’s team in 2009, but was a competitor in 2010. These two former friends crashed several times early in the season before things flared up on pit road. No punches were thrown, but the pair certainly weren’t friends anymore.
2nd — Brennan Poole vs Coleman Pressley
This story started with these young kids being roommates living in the same apartment in Concord, NC, but built up to the two not speaking and tangling on the track. The first major dust up came as Brennan Poole moved Coleman Pressley for the lead at Hickory. Coleman wasn’t happy, but he was about to be less happy as they went to Lonesome Pine and Brennan’s contact turned Pressley for the lead. Brennan went on to win and Coleman made an appearance in victory lane with him to “talk”. This rivalry began to die down after this, but left the roommates living in separate places.
1st — Rodney Cook vs Dustin Rumley
This isn’t about former friends of former roommates, this is simply two guys who didn’t like each other. Rodney Cook and Dustin Rumley was clearly the rivalry of the year, especially after Contact from Cook booted Rumley out of the way and after the race Rumley turned Cook. That spilled over as Cook pulled up nose to nose with Rumley and vowed to get even with him. Cook delivered on his promise as he took Rumley out in the next race and proved his point. These two battled for the championship and after a late season disqualification of Cook, Rumley had the last word as he won the track title. Both these drivers will likely be back for another season in 2011 and there’s little chance that this is even close to over.
