After watching the inaugural Busch race in Montreal today you would think that Marcos Ambrose was the biggest loser. Let me tell you right here and right now that Marcos Ambrose came out of today's race in Montreal as a winner and he didn't even win the race - he wasn't even given a chance after what Robby did to him.
Robby and Marcos were fighting for the lead when an accident happened behind them (Harvick was justified in his shove of Pruett - but I really feel sorry for Ron Fellows who was an innocent bystander in all of this). Robby then put the bumper to Ambrose and passed him, on the grass no less - he couldn't do it on the track - to get the lead. Ambrose then put the bumper to Robby as the yellow flag waved and spun him out. During the caution period Robby came racing back up to the front from his 17th place position and gave Ambrose a little fender rub. He then stayed beside Ambrose and protested the position with NASCAR. NASCAR determined that Robby was indeed in 17th place and told him to get back there. Robby refused and didn't move from second place on the starting grid. NASCAR dropped the Green flag and told Robby he would be black flagged if he didn't do as they said. Robby dropped the hammer and drove into the back of Ambrose, spinning him out thus giving Kevin Harvick the lead as NASCAR stopped scoring Robby at that point. Robby continued to pace the field however, even though he was being scored in the 17th spot and took the checkers and proceeded to do the celebratory burnouts. He then told everyone in the post race interview that he was the true winner of the race even though Kevin Harvick was in victory lane. What Robby really did here was prove just how much of hot head he is.
You don't always have to win a race, or a Championship for that matter, to be a winner just look at Mark Martin, he's a winner and Marcos Ambrose fits that mold. He has class.
Robby Gordon on the other hand has won races both at the Cup and Busch level, as well as in other racing series - the man can drive a car, no doubt about that but his actions today were a disgrace. What an embarrassment for his sponsor and for NASCAR.
Sure, what happened today will give the fans something to talk about - all of the excitement and drama of the finish - but once the initial 'finale' adrenaline wears off what are they going to be talking about? Robby Gordon for his 'loser-like' actions both on and off the track and then they'll be talking about how NASCAR mishandled the whole thing.
NASCAR knows what kind of behaviour Robby is capable of and they should have red flagged the event once he refused to listen to their directives, they were under the caution flag already. Even the announcers knew what Robby was going to do, heck even my 6 year old son said, "He's going to hit him, isn't he?" and he doesn't even like NASCAR (I know, I know, I'm working on it).
As much as it pains me to say this I have to admit that Robby shouldn't bear all of the blame on this, NASCAR should of stepped up and enforced their rules better. If a driver refuses to co-operate the race must be stopped and the driver must be made to comply.
In his post race interview Robby said that there have been precedents set all the time for things like the situation that he was put in, but what Robby forgets is that there are also precedents set for behaviour like his. Remember NASCAR parked Harvick a few years back at Martinsville for what he did in the Busch race the day before, and let me tell you it wasn't nearly as bad as what Robby did today.
Update: Robby is supsended from participating in today's Cup race at Pocono for his actions in Montreal. Like we didn't see that coming.