@nascarcasm: On-track fireworks from 2022 so far

The Fourth of July is all about fireworks. They’re cool and all, but we kind of prefer the metaphorical ones that happen on track. So here, in no particular order, are our favorite on-track fireworks so far from the 2022 season.

HAILIE DEEGAN VS. STEWART FRIESEN, WWT RACEWAY: Hailie slightly pinching Friesen on track before a caution led to this little expression of disdain from Friesen. Firework-wise, it’s maybe a sparkler. Sort of reminds me of when I’m walking through the mall and some aggressive dude selling sea-salt lotion at a kiosk in the middle rushes up to me trying to hand me a sample.

TYLER REDDICK VS. CHASE BRISCOE, BRISTOL DIRT: What looked like Reddick’s first career win in the Cup Series was taken away on the final turn by an admittedly over-aggressive Chase Briscoe. We were expecting fireworks afterwards on pit road between the two drivers also. Unfortunately, that one was a firework where you light the fuse and then it never goes off and you’re incredibly, incredibly disappointed.

KYLE LARSON VS. CHASE ELLIOTT, AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY: There’s something about teammate-on-teammate incidents that just give us life. Larson being seemingly unaware his teammate was on his outside led to a profanity-laced tirade from Chase Elliott that was louder than 500 M-80s going off at once.

SHELDON CREED VS. JADE BUFORD: The Xfinity Series race at Portland was insane on many different levels, but our favorite moment was Sheldon Creed giving the rudest finger to Jade Buford. And you could argue Buford is giving it right back to Sheldon, for the windshield wiper is the middle finger of the race car.

CARSON HOCEVAR VS. RYAN PREECE, CHARLOTTE: These two tangled in the closing laps at Charlotte, leaving Hocevar heartbroken and Preece giving a “The More You Know”-style PSA to the nation’s impressionable youth explaining that what Hocevar did was WRONG, kids. Hocevar shrugged it off, put on his viking helmet or whatever hat he was wearing that night, and strolled away.

ROSS CHASTAIN VS. MARTIN TRUEX JR., DOVER: Spoiler alert – Ross occurs more than once in this gallery. Following the race, Truex Jr. expressed his displeasure with the Melon Man’s aggression in the waning laps. It was in the form of a stern lecture. No punches. No objects thrown. Sometimes we wonder if Truex Jr. is actually from New Jersey.

HAILIE DEEGAN VS. LAWLESS ALAN, MARTINSVILLE: It’s no surprise to see Martinsville in here. The always-aggressive truck race there led to some bitterness post-race, especially between Hailie Deegan and Lawless Alan. We don’t really know what was discussed. All we can gather is that Hailie was not buying it.

WILLIAM BYRON VS. JOEY LOGANO, DARLINGTON: Was this overly aggressive racing, or payback from an earlier incident? William Byron says the former, Joey Logano the latter. Look at this though – like a senior shoving a freshman into a locker.

ROSS CHASTAIN VS. DENNY HAMLIN, ST. LOUIS: If you’ll recall, this race started off with like 3,000 tons of pyro going off on the backstretch during the pace laps. It was an indicator of things to come. Chastain punted Hamlin into the wall, and Hamlin spent the next several laps impeding Ross’ progress on track. I guess you could say they’re now…(puts on sunglasses) … ARCH ENEMIES. Because they were in St. Louis. Come on, that’s good.

TY BIGGS VS. SAM MAYER, MARTINSVILLE: FINALLY, FISTS. Martinsville always makes the tempers boil and BOY did they after the Xfinity Series race. Were words exchanged? We don’t know. And if they were, Ty Gibbs kept his helmet on so they were probably muffled like Kenny on “South Park.” But despite not winning the race at Martinsville, Sam Mayer was still able to walk away with a couple of clocks.