Last Lap: Busch whacker?

Growing up near the rural hayfields of Southwest Virginia, we were taught never to start a fight, but to finish them all.

It's not a difficult concept, but is a valuable one: Never be so proud as to think you can bully others, but refuse to be stepped on by those who do.

Especially if the bully comes out swinging. Once the first punch is thrown, all bets are off. It's tail-whoopin' time.

	Marty Smith

That was my initial reaction to the Kurt Busch/Jimmy Spencer feud. Though sources throughout the garage said many drivers agreed with Spencer's decision, it's awfully weak to sucker punch a guy confined by a roll cage no matter how badly he deserves an attitude adjustment.

Those who applauded Spencer said Busch had it coming for quite awhile. Robby Gordon even offered to pay Spencer's fine. The circumstances surrounding the altercation are sketchy, but one NASCAR source said Busch aimed an obscene gesture in Spencer's direction following the race, which the source said Busch was prone to do at every available opportunity.

I honestly don't care what triggered it. I just wish Busch would have clawed his way out of the car, flaring nostrils dripping with blood, and thrown every last one of those 125 pounds into a counterstrike.

Why? Because both need a reality check.

Nobody's bigger than the game, and sometimes people need to be reminded of it.

For more than a year both drivers have used 3,400-pound missiles to settle scores with all takers, and would finally be mano y mano with weapons of flesh and blood -- not steel and petroleum -- for all the world to see.

Ever seen the movie Friday, when Craig's father catches him with a gun and lectures him about the ramifications of carrying it, and explains how when he was younger they settled arguments with fists but always lived to fight another day? Same deal here, in my opinion.

We eagerly anticipate their antics on the track and love their sound bites off it, but the truth remains that other drivers are at risk when differences are resolved improperly on the track.

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Rarely does NASCAR issue much more than a probationary warning when driver feuds escalate, but on Monday the sanctioning body fined Spencer $25,000 and disallowed his participation at Bristol this weekend, where he had planned to run all three events.

Spencer plans to appeal the ruling and car owner Jim Smith said Monday he is confident Spencer will compete this weekend. But Spencer could still face assault charges pending an investigation by the Lenawee County (Mich.) Sheriff's Department. Busch, meanwhile, was placed on probation for the remainder of the year.

"This was a very unfortunate situation," NASCAR President Mike Helton said. "Emotions are a part of every sport, NASCAR Winston Cup racing included. However, there is a fine line. In this instance, that fine line was crossed."

In other words, what was acceptable 20 years ago is no longer acceptable. Remember the 1979 Cale Yarborough/Bobby Allison classic? This situation won't garner the same affection.

I think NASCAR reacted perfectly in this matter, though I do wish Mike Helton would have asked Humpy Wheeler to arrange a cage match between the two drivers during pre-race festivities at Charlotte in October.

Make it a charity event. Outfit them in shorts and gloves and let them annihilate one another for the Victory Junction Gang.

If the allegations following Sunday's post-race altercation with Kurt Busch are true, what action would you take with Jimmy Spencer?

BoinkJohnson: Give the fella his last paycheck and point him towards the unemployment line. That's what they would give me at work. Jimmy's done... stick a fork in him. Aren't seven out of the top ten considered "young guns"? Mr. Excitement has never really been that exciting, the press wants him to be... they always want a good story... he's just fuddled his way through his career like many of us do. The best I've heard today from many news post was when he almost won at Bristol... Almost counts in horsehoes, hand grenades, marriage, and cancer.

Martindale's pink slip suggestion is entirely too harsh, though he's right in that the vast majority of us would be perusing the want ads if we acted in such a manner.

	Jimmy Spencer

This type of behavior is prevalent in basketball and baseball, and no one bats an eye. By no means does Spencer deserve to be fired, but he obviously needs a reminder that jacking up jaws is inexcusable outside of heavyweight title fight luncheons.

runkir: Short and sweet, Spencer went way over the line and I think he got off easy. He should have been suspended for more than one race, Forget the 25k, let him sit out 3 or 4 races. I'm not sure the message was strong and loud enough.

Many folks shared the sentiment that NASCAR didn't react harshly enough to Busch's nose job, that Spencer got off virtually scott-free. Hear this: There's one aspect about this deal that fans need to realize. NASCAR often works in mysterious ways to have their messages heard, and if they'd been searching for the proper manner to calm Busch down, well, Spencer did it for them.

NASCAR deals with driver complaints every single day, so when sources tell me that Spencer has emerged as a Driver of the Year candidate among his peers, you have to wonder...

Flash_31: If I was NASCAR I would give the man an award. Busch is a pest who's needed a good beating since he stepped foot into NASCAR.

Thanks for weighing in this week, Robby. Others agree:

elwood03: Some people can only take so much before they snap. Jimmy Spencer has been somewhat calm the past few years compared to earlier in his career. I would fine him $10 for punching a motor mouth like Kurt Busch. Anything more than that gives Busch the incentive to run over whomever he wants.

evbug53: I think Jimmy Spencer did what a lot of people would LOVE to do!!!

turkeyhunter: Way to go Jimmy!! Sometimes people need to get set in their place a little. The majority of people I talk to are all behind Jimmy 100%.

Wonder if any of them would help pay his fine?

	Kurt Busch

SCRacergrl: Well, he's already been sentenced to driving the Sirius Dodge this year, which is a pretty strong sentence. Actually, the suspension seems a little unfair. Tony Stewart punched a civilian photographer last year without provocation and only got a $10,000 fine from NA$CAR. You certainly can't say that Busch hasn't provoked Spencer with his comments and conduct (do you really think Kurt had nothing to say while he was in the car or while he was using his car to block the entrance of Spencer's hauler)? I think Spencer should have gotten the same fine and punishment as Stewart got last year. Fair's fair.

This response is absolutely awesome. How can Spencer's $25,000 fine and one-race suspension be justifiable when Stewart only got 10 grand and anger management classes for taking a swipe at a photographer? I assume because Spencer invoked bodily harm and Stewart did not. But I didn't know for sure, so I asked.

"In lieu of the fact that both Spencer and Busch had been warned in the past in a meeting with Mike Helton that we absolutely would not tolerate any future squabbles between these two we needed to make it clear we were serious," NASCAR vice president for corporate communications Jim Hunter said. "Mike was very clear that the punishment would be severe, therefore it is."

Works for me.

Pepsiguy91: Maybe Jimmy was listening to his Sirius satellite radio and "forgot" to stop in time to avoid hitting a slower car. Maybe he "forgot" that road rage is probably something his sponsor does not want to associated with. Whatever the case, I'm sure that he will not "forget" missing Bristol. Real men race Bristol, he says? Well, I suppose that it's suitable that Bristol is the race he'll miss.

Home Depot was considering letting Tony Stewart go for shoving a photographer last season. I would say that allegedly breaking another driver's nose is considerably more. NASCAR handed down their sentence. I was hoping for at least a one-race suspension, but I felt it should have been for the rest of the season.

But even with NASCAR's decision, his owner or sponsor could decide to extend his bench time. The No. 7 car is already losing their sponsor at the end of this year. Having a bully in the driver's seat will make it harder to find a new one.

Yet another solid response, though from a public relations perspective you can look at this situation in two very separate ways. These days every sponsor wants a driver they can count on for product mentions and a squeaky clean image that screams wholesome. But, you can also say that any publicity is good publicity, and I'll guarantee you you've seen more of that Sirius Dodge on SportsCenter the past two days that you did all year previously.

Ted_in_PA: BAHAHAAAAA, welcome back to: "As The Crankshaft Turns." This is funny as all get out! Busch should be a man, accept his licking, and drop the charges, like it used to be. Tell me, did Busch call a WHAAAAAAAmulance? Oh wait, that was Gordon last week. Enough stirring up the pot. I am going to go fight, and hope a race breaks out.

AwsmBill1988: Love either one, or hate either one -- we have tried so hard to get NASCAR racing known throughout the country as a great sports division -- not the old "hick racing" it used to be known for. The crowds and the markets have increased 10 fold from 15 years ago. And yes, tempers flare, it's to be expected -- but they are in a different spotlight than the typical citizen -- one that kids look up to.

Let the car owners blast both of them for tearing up the equipment to issue paybacks; but don't do something that a child (especially a fan of the driver) sees/hears that he punched someone in the face because he was mad.

I believe in paybacks, and yes, if you are punched, you have every right to fight back -- but there is also "tact" -- and ways to do paybacks, and still look "good" in the spotlight. When sports figures are put in the spotlight, and looked up to by kids -- then they have a MORAL RESPONSIBILITY to act as an adult.

Sadly enough, Teddy Ruxpin and Bill Elliott expose this situation for what it truly is, two grown men bickering like children in a schoolyard scuffle.

Square off, get it over with and move on.

Marty Smith is NASCAR.com's senior writer. The opinions expressed are solely of the writers.