The finish of the Bowmanville Trucks race between Cole Custer and John Hunter Nemechek stirred up the old debate of racing with dignity versus doing anything to win. The bump and run is glorified move to those that cannot race.
http://speedwayreport.com/rubbin-is-not-racing/
Thank goodness nobody ever told ole Sonny Hutchins & Ray Hendrick or Sam Ard & Geoff Bodine or Richard Petty & Bobby Allison or Mutt Powell & Al Grinnan that "Rubbin' is NOT Racing" or I would have missed some awesome action during my lifetime.
Patrick, I agree with almost all that is stated. I don't agree with the second item and it says I moved him out of the way. The article said this is never ok and that what I disagree with. My personal belief is that giving a couple bumps when a slower car try's to block and drives in the rear view mirror is totally acceptable. The faster car/better set up has the right to move someone if they try to block.. I don't think they should wreck someone and dirty driving should never be allowed. Enough folks already think its fixed so why try and make it like the Wrestling.. Jmo....
Dave, In my opinion its ok for a little rubbing and racing but its not ok for a blatant dirty move as we saw in the truck race. Jmo.. lol...
Reread paragraph six. All of your examples are addressed there.
I saw Bugsy Stevens & Ron Bouchard, Geoff Bodine & Maynard Troyer, Charlie Jarzombek & Fred Harbach. Rubbin' was not racing to them either.
Blocking is a different column to write all together. That is not addressed here. If someone is leading and you try to pass like you should, and then the leader blocks.. the front bumper is in play. That is a different scenario than what is addressed here in my story. But thanks for reading and I appreciate all other opinions.
Oh, I know that, Bill... and agree.... was just having fun with the story headline.
You obviously watched a different Geoff Bodine than the one who came south and raced at Southside Speedway and South Boston in Virginia in the Emanuel Zervakis #99 White Tornado Late Model Sportsman. I don't think you'd ever convince Sam Ard that Geoff didn't believe rubbin' is racing as in this photo of Geoff rubbin' Sam at SoBo. 
The late Richie Evans would tell you that Geoff did plenty of rubbin' in the modifieds, too. I was at this Martinsville race when Evans won after Bodine's best rubbin' effort.
Bodine said, "I didnt want to wreck him, just get him sideways and pass him. That was the wrong thought. I should have spun him out."
So, please don't tell me Geoff Bodine didn't believe rubbin' is racing. I watched him wreck other drivers in both modified and Late Model Sportsman.
A little rubbin' of a different sort at the racetrack courtesy of Richmond's Terrible Tommy! 
Racing is not a race if its follow the leader. Ok maybe I said that wrong,its not touch free, you can slip and touch or even bump and then betcha there will be a payback,whether it be a tag or an outright spin. I wasnotorious at running high wide and handsome as some say. You can pass up there when the bottom groove has those beating and banging oneach other.
One night I eased up by adistinguished driver and was going by when I was touched lightly in the drivers door. We passed back and forth several times all the while either I was tapping him or he was tapping me,mostly as we were entering a turn. Now I will say he was and maybe still is a heck of a driver but after one heated race we parked and got out and talked about what just happened. All the while we were talking there were several agitators trying to start a fight.
We just let it be but said there will be another time and there was.
Now others were also involved in these races so dont think we were out there all alone but one thing was in our favor,we were up front all the while this was happening,you can imagine the noise and cheers this brought during and after the races.
All this was going on in I think in three different states so word was getting around. It didnt happen every race because I found other places to run but we run together quite often.
One weekend we ran together in Savannah and I had a bunch from home down in the pits watching the race. Best I can remember we done our usual bumping and beating all the while keeping the rest behind us. And you guessed it,we finished one two. I will let someone else tell the outcome but I had a ball and I think he did too. He pushed and I pushed too and if this race was to have been run in todays racing there would have been the biggest brawl after a race you ever seen.
I dont know about him but I can almost replay those 40 laps out for you lap by lap.
I truly dont remember any cafe racing going on where I ran and I saw the likes of Ralph Earnhart,Darrel Walthorpe and yes Dale come up behind me and it was every man for himself.
So many of the older players are gone now but a few are still kicking and on here (R/R).
So all in all those two kids in the trucks put on a show and yes got kinda wild BUT that was the last lap and last turn and remember there is some old blood running in those two guys bodys.
So as Brother Dave Fulton said -- THank goodness all the good ole boys didnt know that "Rubbing is not Racing".
Or maybe we just did it different back in the day -------------------- Memories !
Exactly, Johnny. Wish we could turn the clock back so I could see you and Legend rub one more time! You can see that our old dirt track car got rubbed once or twice. 
Tim was what you would call a soft spoken driver back then. We cussed and discussed several,and I do mean several, meetings back then,now adays he is quicker on the replay and enjoys bartering as you know. When we first met in Augusta back in 2010 after about 35 years of beating and banging we kinda had an audience waiting to see whether or not the war of words or worse would continue.
Well we played it up to about an hour in when we had avoided each other until that time. The audience along with Jeff gave us a wide berth while we circled and jousted with some old terms used back in the day. Cameras were loaded and some like Leon Phillips was grinning from ear to ear.
Then it came,and I do mean came out. A grin on each others face broke the ice and the place went up in laughter. The Middle Ga bunch along with Harold Fountain has seen me dive in a car after a driver who done me wrong after we wrecked knew sometimes weird things happen when meeting an oldadversary who maybe had atenuous back then could rekindle.
But to everyones joy we played the scene out and all won out. He was and is still a person I admire because we did things our way and they seemed to coincide .
Yes he was and is a "hell of a man", and one I can call a FRIEND, unless we on the track ........ memories
testing the fit
Oh yes, I have fond memories of the rubbing and racing Johnny and I did for several races. The race in Savannah to which he refers, could have been mine because I was in the prime position to put him into the wall. I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I looked upon each of my competitors as friends, whether they like me or not, just because we were all doing the same thing. There was a driver in Columbia with whom I raced closely for several races in a row. We banged, slammed and put the doughnuts on the cars but we were good friends. I think fans were waiting to see a fight but he and I just laughed ourselves silly because we had so much fun. Same with a driver in Myrtle Beach. He and I had the two most equally matched cars you can imagine and we always ended up running for second or third, side by side, slamming and banging one another. I came home one week with almost the entire right side of my Plymouth missing. We were back next week doing it again.
Johnny was always a fine competitor and we have had a lot of fun over the past 8 years or so remembering the good times. Johnny, don't you ever worry about whether or not we are friends because you will always be my friend. I would like a do over on that last lap at Savannah. We could invite Dave and Patrick. This time I think I will put you in the wall so I can at least have ONE win.
Gee, I wish I had 8mm film of the hundreds of laps Bodine and Fred DeSarro ran at Thomspon on Sunday nights in Modifieds where they did not touch. There were plenty of races where they raced like racers, not bulls in China shops. Bodine had a reputation for bumping more than others... and he was not popular for it. It was not his Modus Operandi. He raced clean- like you are supposed to- plenty of times for many years. But he had his moments up north and down south. I refer you to paragraph 16.
This photo has made the internet rounds plenty. Look further back in this race. Bodine got loose and believed Evans caused him to do it. Eyewitness accounts (of which I was not one, but I will go with third-running Maynard Troyer who said there was water on the track because he could see steam coming off others' rear tires) said Bodine slipped up and Evans took the lead. This was about two laps to go. Bodine felt Evans used the bumper. There was space between the cars and Evans did not touch Bodine. Bodine had a retalitory move in mind out of anger. Whether Bodine believes Rubbin' is or is not racing, I do not know. I did not interview him for the article. I do know I have seen him make many clean passes in my childhood growing up. I stand by my story.
Terrible Tommy. The nickname says it all.
Gentlemen, we are welcome to disagree on this one. I saw some great racing when I was growing up and a lot of passing. Drivers did not use their front bumper as a tool to get around someone. Open wheel modifieds with the fast guys starting in the back, in the days before spotters and radios were not with every car. I am glad to have witnessed the talent and and driving I did. That is what I was brought up on. That is what I admire and appreciate to this day. I am glad you guys read the story and shared your opinions, even if they are different from mine.
