One thing some say NASCAR has been lacking so far in 2012 is a rivalry. There has been some great racing, different winners nearly every week and some great finishes. Yet, so far there has not seemed to be a matchup between drivers that NASCAR fans love to see. Or has there? Maybe the rivalry hasn’t been so obvious on the track, but a contest between a driver and his former crew chief may just be heating up.
Last November in the media center at Homestead-Miami Speedway, a chill fell over the room when newly crowned champion Tony Stewart took his place on the stage to face the media. Already present was his championship crew chief Darien Grubb. The icy stare between the two couldn’t be ignored. After all while they were celebrating an almost improbable win and championship the tension between Stewart and Grubb was nearly measurable.
Grubb was a lame duck at the organization, already having been given his walking papers months before by Stewart. So the celebratory mood was muted somewhat by the fact that Grubb would very soon need a job. MORE>>>
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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