Fewer than 10 people detained for throwing debris at Talladega
Quote selected text Published April 30th, 2007 in NASCAR News
Talladega Superspeedway officials said fewer than 10 people were detained after the Aaron’s 499 for throwing debris on the race track.
As Jeff Gordon circled the track both under caution and after the checkered flag, debris in the form of bottles, cans and other items flew from the grandstands.
“Throughout the weekend, we have warned our guests through PA announcements, my prerace remarks and media interviews not to throw debris on the race track and the consequences of such actions,” track president Grant Lynch said. “Additional security was brought in for the grandstands, and we had a plan in place should such actions take place. I was personally in the grandstands at the conclusion of today’s Aaron’s 499, and as promised, we enforced our policies and took the appropriate action on individuals that we were able to accurately identify.
“We aren’t going to let less than 1 percent of our fans spoil this record-setting weekend here at Talladega Superspeedway.”
Drivers were upset, too.
“It was real disappointing at the end to see how some of the fans were acting,” Matt Kenseth said. “It’s disappointing to have your $150,000 race car being pelted by full beer cans at the end of the race.”
Bookmark to:
- Gordon thinks Stewart’s comments may have hurt NASCAR’s credibility
- Fourteen fans barred from buying tickets at Talladega
- Richmond bans the 14 fans from Talladega
- Earnhardt, Jr admits cheating takes place?
- NASCAR investigating Robby Gordon in ‘Roll-Bar Caution’ incident
ARREST THEM!
What a bunch of jerks.
its things like this that make NASCAR look horrible. I was watching the race last night (TiVo!!) and my husband made a passing comment on its a “redneck sport, what did you expect?” Well, i remember years ago when NASCAR wasnt as popular…and people had more respect for drivers then this. Do these people actaully think that their drivers are proud of them for doing this? theyre embarrassed just like the rest of us. way to go jerks.
i’m a big jeff gordon fan and i understand people don’t like him but come on, throwing things on the track at the high dollar cars is a bunch a b.s. ban them from the races so they can understand what they did was wrong.
I’m not a JG fan but really…that’s just retarded! It’s people like that that are giving NASCAR a bad name. Throw the book at them!
I agree I was there and I am from Alabama. I just don’t want
the drivers or any of the other fans to look down on
Alabama or Talladega superspeedway or to think that thats the
way all the people in Alabma act IT’S NOT. I am a big Dale Jr. Fan
and Jeff Gordon isn’t at all my favorite driver but I didn’t
or any of my family and friends pick up something and throw it
on the track.
I am by no means a Jeff Gordon fan, but i didnt like the way the race ended. NASCAR has made sooo many new rules, its just not fair anymore. I wish they would have stopped the race again after the last wreck, and done it over again.Why not, they make up a bunch of other corny rules. Lots of drivers were on the move and could have caught Gordon. i didnt feel it was fair to any of the other drivers. I dont think it was right throwing things, but i wouldnt have liked the race ending that way either had i paid that much money for a ticket!!
I dont think it was just the fans throwing cans at gordon I think it was the fans telling nascar to shove it. I woulda chucked a beer tooo……..
ok so lets see nascar messed up again? just ask yourself one question if Dale Jr was in the
lead or your favorite driver you would not say that its not fair that the caution ended the race
so please stop whining its getting really old and yes gordon does whine but so do 42 other drivers
when something happens to them its the nature of the sport all the drivers do it.
That was amazing, and its not the first time it happened. You Gordon fans are jut dumb for liking him.
well here is a thought.. make it so they can not bring in cans and bottle in to the race or even sell then make it so all drinks and such must be served in placic cups if they are going to keep throwing then at the drivers!! I don’t care what driver it is it is all wrong.. you always have that one person in the crowed who is going to throw some thing.. so maybe they should make a artical on that they might just very well do that and see if the fans stop.. if they don’t then i say do it!!!
hey wheres all the respect? We are all grown up.Shouldnt we act like it?Doesnt matter who the driver is!
yeah but Missy, there are thouse who don’t know how too.. as we saw at the race with the flying objects…. but i sooo agree with you on dosent matter who the driver is.. I am not a Gordon fan at all but i would still hate to see stuff thrown at my favorite driver.. but i doubt he will be in that postion unless by sheer dumb luck.. but i have high hopes!
i think plastic is the way to go..
Im a Gordon fan, and although I didnt like the end of the race either this is how it needs to be. Yellow flag laps need to NOT count toward the lap total count. This way we would never have a race end under caution, and we wouldnt have any more “Fual” strategy winners, everyone would have to figure there fuel milage, and losers liek Jeremy Mayfield wouldnt have won a few years back at Michigan. They do this and theres no more complecated rules, no arguments, its straight foward, yellow flag laps do not count towards the lap tota. and when the caution comes out have the race to the line, so then there wouldnt be an argument over things liek Daytona 500 this year. Yep, bring back race to the yellow and make yellow flag laps not count.
It was slightly disappointing to see the beers being chunked on the track, but Gordon’s post race comments in victory lane were some of the classiest things I’ve ever heard come out of his mouth. Sure beer throwing (miscellaneous items) is in poor taste but hey, that shows you how strongly people feel about their racing. I think Gordon is starting to enjoy the minor riots he causes at Dega. I personally think its cool when people are atleast doing something even if it is “wrong”, they weren’t leaving the track out of boredom or lack of interest.
The race ended in a crappy way, but you can’t deny that Gordon was consistently putting himself in postion to win all day long. …it pains me to say that.
Maybe if nascar would stop fixing the races they wouldn’t throw anything. Come on whats his nuts blows a motor but the caution dosen’t come out until after Gordon takes the lead. And then the announcers make sure to say at least 500 times that there is only one shot at a green white checkered finish. and i really liked how 2 months into the season the announcers are already saying that gordon is in the chase. But nascar ain’t fixing races. right. i guess they just got tired of fining Knauss so they let him have free run. And another thing Talledaga is 2.5 miles around. your telling me that they can’t get those cars stoped on the back stretch and red flag the race? come on mike helton pull your head out of your ass. you are to busy trying to get new fans that you are loosing the ones that got you where you are. As for Nascar being a “redneck sport” IT IS. Racing of this type has always been an in your face sport. If you want touchy feely racing go watch f1 or nhra or some other wimpy crap.
dave daspain on wind tunnell said last night and i agree you throw something at a car that you dont like 1st you get arrested then you get banned from track FOR EVER then your picture goes up at entrance to show everyone else stupid has a price i dont care for 24 but hes a hell of a driver that should not have happened [throwing stuff that is]
Ummmm ok I have to say something here. NHRA is not by any means a wimpy form of racing. Has anyone ever seen Bob Motz race? In case you haven’t you don’t know what your missing. I’ve seen him numerous times at our local race track and it is insanely incredible!!!
Nothing beats standing next to a track and feeling the ground tremble under your feet as you watch a Kenworth rig with 3 jet fueled engines rockin’ from side to side. You can feel the heat from it on your face and the sound is like nothing you have ever heard.
Once he has gone down the 1/4 mile track at over 300mph, try hearing someone talk to you…. you can’t hear anything or anyone!!! And I’ve also heard the number 24 car start up as well, the guy driving it started to goof off and within minutes there were cops all over the parking lot.
I agree with Dave Despain as well. I watched Wind Tunnel last night.
I’m not a Gordon fan. Heck, I despise Hendrick Motorsports as a whole, and I feel that Jamie McMurray was screwed last night. NASCAR seriously needs to re-revaluate some things when it comes to those flags, but it doesn’t give people the right to toss beer at a person, or a car for that matter. How would they like it if I tossed a Corona at their pick-up trucks? I would be hung for that. They should be arrested and banned.
I’d rather not blame NASCAR for it. I’d rather blame the drivers that cant keep from wrecking for two laps. If they didn’t wreck than there wouldn’t be a yellow flag finish. It’s that simple.
I didn’t like it either, but it is how they’ve done it before and it is how they
are supposed to do it. Throwing beers is dumb and those idiots need to grow a pair and accept
it, it’s not all about you.
throwin shit is stupid but how the hell do u let somone blow up a motor comin out of turn four an not throw a caution till hes in turn one?? guess why. cuz gordon was about to take the lead. nascar needs to stop fixin the races an maybe fans will stop throwin shit. i dont think they should throw shit on the track they should throw it through the windows of where brian france john darby and mike helton sit. maybe a beercan hittin their head might knock some fuckin sense into them.
Hey, those guys are wearing helmets, it’s okay to throw things at them.
One idea: put a glass container inside each bottle sold at the speedway. In it is the stuff those terrorists were going to use to blow up the planes. Make the container break when “throwing velocity” is reached. Then the offender will have his hand blown off if he throws a bottle.
I’m NOT a Gordon fan…but I’m NO fan of
disrespectful displays of violence! YES!!
VIOLENCE!
A full beer hitting the windshield as just the
right angle can result in a horriffic crash and
possible lost life….I may not like Jeff…but I
don’t wanna see him hurt either!
I was once at a dirtrace and some guy tossed a full
beer at a racecar during a yellow flag..
,my husband, a racecar owner (but not of that particular car)
flagged down security and had the bozo tossed out.
We are so quick to judge our youth today on their behavior
but when I see ADULTS behaving this way it mades me ashamed
to be seated anywhere near them!
Congratulations, Jeff—have a cold one!
chickenhawk454 said it best I think. My opinion is if NASCAR wasnt so far up hendrix ass people might not throw FULL BEERS. Im a person that is strongly against alcohol abuse so no throwing full BUD’s hahahaha. I agree with every fan that threw anything on the track if its not so much about Jeff Gordon winning its about the shity ways in which he wins. NASCAR has went out of its way to help Hendrix cars win and im getting tired of it its not racing anymore its Oh’ watch 43 cars go in a circle and watch one person get so lucky he wins a freaking crapload. Yes NASCAR is a redneck sport and if you dont like it go watch F1 like Chickenhawk454 said.
I think you people saying its childish etc etc are missing the point of what the fans are doing. You see this is still AMERICA where you have some freedoms. I mean look at this week first NASCAR takes away Smokes first ammendment rights THEN they say if anyone throws a beer or anything at teh track they will be arrested. I would love to know what the charges were. Littering? Gimme a break. I am by no means violent or a dumb redneck by any means. I do agree with the fans showing displeasure. What are they going to do write Mike Helton a letter? Like he would care. This is a fan built and fan driven sport. Look at it from a TRUE race fans perpective. You are at a restrictor plate track they wait forever and a day to call the enginge caution. Then they hold them on teh track circling when they know half of the guys are almost out of gas then you give them 2 laps to get up to speed and try to race when it takes that long to get these cars going. Its just stupid. The entire way they are ahndling things is stupid and i think some fans a drivers need to get together and try to get something done about it. I for one A DEVOTED fan who will normally attend atleasty 5 races a year will not attend one until i see NASCAR making a change in the right direction. I will stick to the Busch Northern races or local dirt atleast those are determined by racers not officials bought out by RIck Hendrick the biggest shareholder in NASCAR…………..
here is a though.. yeah i know not a good one.. shouldent write it but…. for the people who they did detain why not give the Drivers their address so they can go throw beer (please not the beer.. coke ya use coke please) at them and see how they like it.. fair is fair..
I know don’t sink to their level.. Sorry
So the one million dollar question is…if you do not agree with Nascar, why do you go to the races?
Races do not always end under green and you can only have so many rules to try to solve this. They tried and it didn’t work…..stop crying about it, show some class(or get some) and move on to the next race.
That’s racing!
Charges listen anyone who throws anything on the track is endangering the drives lives and last time I checked when you endanger another persons life its called attempted murder! Littering give me a break! These idiots that throw things onto the track during a race should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. I am a passionate NASCAR fan and I remember the feelings I had when Dale Earnhart tied the King you didn’t see things flying out on to the track that day because Richard Petty fans have class. Imp not the biggest Jeff Gordon fan but I do admire his driving skills which if these idiots would stop and look at the big picture Dale Earnhart and Gordon were friends Gordon learned a lot from Dale and they worked very closely together so by dumping on Gordon you are dumping on Earnhart. Next time you go to a race enjoy the race enjoy the crowd and enjoy the competition. Don’t be an ass and ruin it for those who enjoy the sport. For those that bring their kids to enjoy the sport. If you can not refrain from being a complete ass stay home and throw beer cans at your TV and I hope it implodes on you to teach you a lesson!!!!!!!!!!
Ok, first of all Grant Lynch is full of #*it! I worked Talladega many times ushers where more then cut in half, to REDUCE COST! Poeple ask why not got to plastic? Ill tell u beer is one of the biggest sellers ant an event. And to answer the police are to busy looking for minor infractions ,like flashing and other stupid things like that, one instence i seen was a female flasher required 30 cops, while the track was pelted soto all those that say WTF? its easy when the cats away “drunk” mice will play! u tell me what will injure more being flashed or catching a flying beer to the head?
CHICKENSHIT454
You must be another Stewart fan that just can’t stand it when the best driver of the whole race makes a hell of a charge at the finish to put himself in a position to win whether it ended under a yellow or not.
I am not a Gordon fan by any means, but get a grip!! This is straight out of Deliverance!
Well this isnt the first time its happened..Last year I went to the
dega race in October and the same thing happened, all kinds of debris
thrown onto the track Well let me tell you it doesnt feel all that
great to be hit in the head with a unopened beer can….How stupid can
you get!! I was on the first roe and got hit upside the head!! People
someones going to get hurt! If you keep doing this then everyones
going to suffer. We’re not going to be able to bring cans into the
stadium, raised ticket prices, just way more strict rules.You throw
anything that could hurt someone then they should arrest you!
You were warned ahead of time!
Excuse me, Sean, but even in this country, violence is certainly not a freedom. It’s a
stupid, immature choice that should not go unpunished. I’m sure from reading your posts
that I wouldn’t like you as a person, but I don’t consider it my freedom to crack a bottle
over your head, either. As much as I may want to…
I have been reading some feed back on this subject and I agree with some of it. but here is my 2 cents.
1st and fore most I am a Triple J fan 1. Jeff gordon 2.Jimmie Johnson and 3. Jr. (Dale JR) incase the beer throwing people cant understand. I have grew up on racing from way back in the day. of some of the greats cale and Benny . I have had stong feelings of disliking drivers such as Davey and more recent Kyle Bush But I would Never NEVER throw anything at them .once at a track in CA . Tony refused to sign an autograph for my b/f at the timeTony was rude and hateful but I would still never throw anything at him. Thats just down right disrespectful … and STUPID!!!
This will cause Nascar to put a stop to carryin in coolers a privilage that should be respected you cant carry in coolers in CA you pay 7 bucks for hot beer in A plastic cup. but then again maybe thats what should happen thats what the idiots are asking for but the Shame of it is we all have to pay becausing of some one being Stupid. I think we caught for doing this Should be a large fine and barred from all tracks and if this keeps up maybe drivers Should refuse to go drive at those tracks. We all LOVE our Drivers and like to show our loylaity to them but respect she be for all of them.. Jr. said in an article about people didnt realize what good friends Jeff and Sr. were . I think that is with all the drivers the have to respect each other for the hours they spend together. why cant race fans do the same????? KIDS act better than this!!!!!! and to all those so called earnhardt fans doing this WHAT WOULD DALE SR HAVE SAID ???? your not even respecting the driver you claim to love !!!!!!
I am in no way condoneing throwing a beer at the track or anything at the track while a race is in progress. That is just Idiotic at best. But are you saying it is so stupid to voice your opinion over the finish of a race after it has been called? If i saw someone even throw a wet paper towel at a race car when it is at speed i would detain the person myself. Its about racing pure and simple. If anyone took my comments as saying violence is the key WAKE UP PEOPLE and stop being media brainwashed. Trya nd form a thought on teh facts and the situation not speculate on what COULD HAPPEN and then tell me I am terrible person because I voiced my Opinion. Hitting a car witha been at 15 miles an hour isnt going to kill someone in a car. And for the record I have been hit with a beer at a sporting event before and at a concert. Both times I had the person ushered away. Not being a hypocrite I am saying different situations call for different conclusions….