klaus
March 7th, 2005, 18:45
http://www.nascar.com/2005/news/headlines/bg/03/06/rgordon_parrott/index.html
MEXICO CITY -- Robby Gordon said he didn't want to make a "big deal" out of Sunday's pre-race confrontation with Brad Parrott, crew chief for Carl Edwards.
But NASCAR officials said they are looking into the incident and would talk with Parrott later this week about what happened before Sunday's Telcel Motorola 200 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
According to Gordon, he told Parrott, "You should be going to the back with me," for the start of the race.
Gordon changed engines and was put to the rear of the field, but Edwards was able to keep his ninth starting spot despite going to a backup car.
"And he spun out," Gordon said. "He's got to stay calm more than that. It was no big deal."
Parrott, Gordon said, kneed Gordon in the groin. Gordon then tried to retaliate before onlookers separated the two.
"That is true, and that's where it started," Gordon said. "I will talk to NASCAR about it. Because I say he should go to the back is no reason to get in my face like he did.
"If someone is going to knee me in the groin, I'm going to grab him by the throat. It's that simple. I don't care who he is."
Parrott did not want to talk about the incident, saying a report about the confrontation as described by witnesses was untrue.
"I want to know why on NASCAR.COM there's a full-face blown lie," Parrott said. "My wife just called me and said something happened on NASCAR.COM that I don't believe in."
Asked to explain his side, Parrott declined.
"I'll explain it to NASCAR, and I'll let NASCAR explain it to you," Parrott said. "Anybody who knows Robby Gordon knows how Robby Gordon is."
NASCAR Busch Series director Joe Balash, however, said he had yet to talk to Parrott but would later in the week.
"I haven't talked to Brad yet," Balash said. "We'll talk to both people that were down there. I don't know exactly what happened, but we'll talk to them and see what's going on."
Edwards was one of the first to separate Parrott and Gordon but said he didn't know what started the incident.
"When I came onto the scene Robby was roughing my crew chief up just a little it, so I just stopped Robby from doing that," Edwards said.
"I really didn't know what the situation was. That's all there was, and I was just trying to stop that from happening. I don't think that's the right thing to be doing at any time. I don't understand exactly what happened to be honest with you."
Gordon said he wasn't angry with Parrott or the rulings that kept Edwards in ninth and put Gordon to the rear.
"It's in the rulebook," Gordon said. "That's why it's no big deal for him to pop off because it's in the rulebook.
"I understood what the rule was, but I was just saying what I thought. My opinion obviously doesn't make a difference of whether he goes to the back or doesn't go to the back.
"Obviously, he can't handle any pressure or criticism at all. And he fights like a little girl."
MEXICO CITY -- Robby Gordon said he didn't want to make a "big deal" out of Sunday's pre-race confrontation with Brad Parrott, crew chief for Carl Edwards.
But NASCAR officials said they are looking into the incident and would talk with Parrott later this week about what happened before Sunday's Telcel Motorola 200 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
According to Gordon, he told Parrott, "You should be going to the back with me," for the start of the race.
Gordon changed engines and was put to the rear of the field, but Edwards was able to keep his ninth starting spot despite going to a backup car.
"And he spun out," Gordon said. "He's got to stay calm more than that. It was no big deal."
Parrott, Gordon said, kneed Gordon in the groin. Gordon then tried to retaliate before onlookers separated the two.
"That is true, and that's where it started," Gordon said. "I will talk to NASCAR about it. Because I say he should go to the back is no reason to get in my face like he did.
"If someone is going to knee me in the groin, I'm going to grab him by the throat. It's that simple. I don't care who he is."
Parrott did not want to talk about the incident, saying a report about the confrontation as described by witnesses was untrue.
"I want to know why on NASCAR.COM there's a full-face blown lie," Parrott said. "My wife just called me and said something happened on NASCAR.COM that I don't believe in."
Asked to explain his side, Parrott declined.
"I'll explain it to NASCAR, and I'll let NASCAR explain it to you," Parrott said. "Anybody who knows Robby Gordon knows how Robby Gordon is."
NASCAR Busch Series director Joe Balash, however, said he had yet to talk to Parrott but would later in the week.
"I haven't talked to Brad yet," Balash said. "We'll talk to both people that were down there. I don't know exactly what happened, but we'll talk to them and see what's going on."
Edwards was one of the first to separate Parrott and Gordon but said he didn't know what started the incident.
"When I came onto the scene Robby was roughing my crew chief up just a little it, so I just stopped Robby from doing that," Edwards said.
"I really didn't know what the situation was. That's all there was, and I was just trying to stop that from happening. I don't think that's the right thing to be doing at any time. I don't understand exactly what happened to be honest with you."
Gordon said he wasn't angry with Parrott or the rulings that kept Edwards in ninth and put Gordon to the rear.
"It's in the rulebook," Gordon said. "That's why it's no big deal for him to pop off because it's in the rulebook.
"I understood what the rule was, but I was just saying what I thought. My opinion obviously doesn't make a difference of whether he goes to the back or doesn't go to the back.
"Obviously, he can't handle any pressure or criticism at all. And he fights like a little girl."