Harvick Wins, But Not If Gordon Has Anything To Say About It

MONTREAL — Was it a demolition derby? Was it an auto race? Whatever Saturday’s NAPA Auto Parts 200, the first NASCAR Busch Series race in Canada was, it was highly popular with the capacity crowd gathered at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve.
One of the most controversial races in recent NASCAR history ended with Kevin Harvick in victory lane and a lot of angry drivers, officials and fans standing by.
The angriest was Robby Gordon, who appeared to have taken the lead from Marcos Ambrose just prior to a yellow flag appearing late in the event on the 2.747-mile road course.
However, seconds after Gordon passed Ambrose, the Australian driver hit Gordon from behind, sending the veteran racer spinning. Now, with race under the full-course yellow, confusion reigned.

SURPRISE: Kevin Harvick celebrates his Busch Series victory Saturday in Montreal. Harvick only led the last two laps of the series' inaugural visit to the Canadian circuit. (Erik Perel/HHP Photo)

After several laps of the track with Ambrose and Gordon following closely behind the pace car, Gordon was ordered to fall back to 13th in the order. He refused.
But instead of red flagging the race, NASCAR allowed the green flag to wave with Gordon right behind Ambrose. Gordon promptly wrecked Ambrose and raced ahead of the field the remaining distance.
However, his scorecard was pulled for ignoring NASCAR’s commands and he was credited with 18th at the checkered flag.
Believe it or not, the craziness had only begun.
Harvick, who started at the rear of the field after missing qualifying while practicing his Cup car at Pocono, had rammed his way to the front of the field, spinning Scott Pruett and Andy Pilgrim along the way.
He inherited the lead and held off a spirited charge by French Canadian open-wheel racer Patrick Carpentier to claim his 30th series victory. Carpentier finished .338 second behind in his first Busch Series start.
“The last four or five laps were pretty wild,” Harvick said. “There was a lot of pushing and shoving and everybody running into each other — a lot like short-track racing.”
Road racer Max Papis finished third, while Ron Fellows and Stephen Leicht rounded out the top five.
While Harvick enjoyed the official victory lane celebration, Gordon performed a burnout on the frontstretch as if he had won the race. And he contended that he had.

STORM A-BREWING: Robby Gordon (55) chases Busch Series rookie Marcos Ambrose in the closing laps of Saturday's NAPA Auto Parts 200. (Phil Cavali Photo)

“You always go back to your position, if you get spun out,” Gordon said after the race. “Marcos spun me under the (final) caution. They told me originally, ‘Go back to second place.’ Halfway around the last lap, they told me to go back to 13th place, 14th place, something like that.
“I was never running 13th or 14th, so I don’t know what to say. I completed the most laps. I was the first car to complete ’em. I won the race. You guys can say I got into the back of (Ambrose) over here. He got into the back of me over there. It’s just a huge disappointment.”
While NASCAR did not explain its decision following the race, it issued a statement that explained its interpretation of the events. According to NASCAR, Ambrose was leading at the time of the yellow flag, and Gordon attempted to improve his position under the yellow flag.
“At the time that the field was frozen, the 59 (Ambrose) was in the lead,” the statement read. “The 55 (Gordon) did not maintain cautious pace and by NASCAR rule, cars not maintaining cautious pace are scored only when they blend back into the continuous line. The 55, based on our scoring, was ordered to blend back in behind the 33 in front of the 7.
“The tower ordered the 55 multiple times to get in to position. The directive was acknowledged by the crew chief of the 55 and the crew chief also communicated the order to the driver of the 55. The driver ignored NASCAR’s directive.”
NASCAR did not take Gordon’s actions lightly and he was parked for Sunday’s Cup race at Pocono Raceway, where he was replaced by P.J. Jones. Additional penalties against Gordon are expected this week.
Meanwhile, Ambrose dominated the event, only to have it stolen from him in the closing laps.
“I knew that he was going to try and hit me,” Ambrose said. “We were talking whether we should pull over and let him pass, but you know, I’ve got two laps to go and I’m trying to win the race. If somebody is going to take me out, they’re going to take me out. If they feel strong enough, they’re going to do it.”