Robby Gordon's No. 7 Chevrolet was in tatters after an incident involving Michael Waltrip. Credit: Autostock

Temper tantrums could result in suspensions

LOUDON, N.H. -- Loudon is the new Martinsville.

Tempers ran hot enough on Sunday to burn the woods surrounding New Hampshire International Speedway, as frustrated drivers sounded off after a crash-filled Sylvania 300.

The crashes happened early and often, and retaliations were frequent. NASCAR likely will be issuing multiple fines this week, and NASCAR Vice President of Corporate Communications Jim Hunter said his organization will consider suspensions.

Inside the Chase Point standings after Loudon Pos. Driver Pts. Behind 1. T. Stewart 5,230 -- 2. G. Biffle 5,210 -20 3. R. Newman 5,190 -40 tie R. Wallace 5,190 -40 5. M. Kenseth 5,180 -50 6. J. Johnson 5,177 -53 7. M. Martin 5,176 -54 8. J. Mayfield 5,135 -95 9. C. Edwards 5,121 -109 10. Ku. Busch 5,088 -142 • Results, click here • Standings, click here Final lapsNewman and Stewart battle for the checkered flag Second placeTony Stewart on his runner-up finish at Loudon Sylvania 300Complete race video highlights from New Hampshire Sign up for TrackPass now BUY YOUR NEXTEL DRIVER PHONE

NASCAR has been increasing punishment for drivers' on-track retaliation, and Hunter said the sanctioning body particularly is disturbed by retaliation that occurs during a caution, when safety workers often are present on the track.

"You're going to see some pretty stiff penalties coming out of this," Hunter said. [NASCAR President Mike Helton] said we are going to do whatever we need to whether it's park a guy a week or nine weeks.

"We will do whatever we need to do."

As TNT's cameras rolled, viewers watching the first race of the Chase for the Nextel Cup were treated to a repeated series of on-track feuds, the biggest being a riveting war between Michael Waltrip and Robby Gordon.

Gordon and Waltrip were battling for fourth on Lap 191 when the two tangled in Turn 2, sending Gordon hard into the wall. He was done for the day.

Sort of.

Gordon got out his car and hurled his helmet at Waltrip's car, then proceeded to call Waltrip a profane word in an ensuing TV interview.

Both Gordon and Waltrip were required to visit with NASCAR after the race.

"Everyone thinks Michael is a good guy. He is not the good guy like he acts like he is. Caution was out, and he wrecked me," said Gordon, who finished 37th. "I just passed Michael, down in the middle of [Turns] 1 and 2.

"I leaned on him a little bit in the middle of the corner, not a big deal. Normally when a guy is inside you get a little bit free, and did not harm. Caution came out, I slowed down, Michael decided to turn left and wreck me. It is what it is."

Said Waltrip, who wound up 15th: "I went into the corner and I was running up high, and he [Gordon] just tried to bounce me off the groove. The next thing was the marbles and the wall for me, I just stood my ground. Probably just heat of the moment stuff, I have never had any problem with Robby."

There was very little left of Kasey Kahne's Dodge after Sunday's event. Credit: Autostock

The undercard featured a brief encounter between Kasey Kahne and Kyle Busch, who had tangled on Lap 166. Kahne's Dodge hit the fence after a tap from Busch, and Kahne retaliated by waiting for Busch's car to come back around the track.

"I figured he was going to do something, I should have been smarter than that pulling on the outside," Busch said. "I wasn't expecting NASCAR's poster child to do that. He probably won't even get a fine or anything like that."

Kahne cooled off considerably after the race, but he said he wasn't trying to take Busch out.

After the incident, NASCAR ordered Kahne's car to the garage for the remainder of the race, but it didn't matter much since the car was destroyed.

"I just drove up in front of him and stopped. He run into me, it didn't really hurt his car, but it was the wrong thing to do," said Kahne, who also was ordered to meet with NASCAR after the race. "You feel like you get crashed, you want retaliation, but that is not the way it works in NASCAR. Definitely the wrong thing to do."

Busch said that the flat surface at New Hampshire makes it tough to avoid confrontations.

"It's so hard to pass. Just one of them deals where you have to struggle along and figure out where you're going to [pass]," Busch said.