Wednesday, August 5, 2009

What's the best rivalry in NASCAR today? Is there one?

So in the wake of yesterday's Busch-Junior War That Wasn't post, I started wondering -- what are the good rivalries today? Are there any?

NASCAR is built on rivalries, on two guys going at each other week after week, track after track. You like one, you hate the other. It's that simple. Yet for a variety of reasons -- the money, the sponsors, the team-switching -- we just don't see enough good old-fashioned driver-on-driver rivalry these days. These are the ones I can come up with that seem to be in the mix in the last year or so, and none of these is exactly firing high right now ...

Carl Edwards vs. Kevin Harvick. The brawl to settle it all last year didn't amount to much this year, mainly because Harvick sits about 20 spots below Edwards.

Juan Pablo Montoya vs. Kasey Kahne. This must be a rivalry, ESPN told us so! Except -- whoops -- it wasn't after all.

Jimmie Johnson vs. Kurt Busch. Kurt got a little mouthy earlier this summer, but it doesn't appear much came of it. A disappointment.

Tony Stewart vs. Kurt Busch. These two got together at Daytona last year, but nothing since then.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. vs. Brian Vickers. After Junior took out Vickers at Daytona this year, he had words for the icon, but since both are out of the Chase, it's not much of a story.

Robby Gordon vs. David Stremme. No offense, dudes, but who cares?

All right, your turn. Are there any good rivalries today that you can think of? Do we need some? Who's your best candidate(s) to make a good one-on-one showdown?

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