Allmendinger loves "Boys have at it"

When A.J. Allmendinger sat down in a chair in the media center at Kentucky Speedway on Wednesday he probably assumed someone would ask him about the post-race scuffle between Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick from Darlington.

So I did.

“A.J.,” I said, “I’ve got to know, what are your thoughts on Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch?”

He smiled, and said, “I think it’s awesome. As long as they keep running into each other and trying to punch each other out, it makes it a lot easier on the rest of us.”

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“It’s good,” he continued. “I love when you get rivalries in the sport and I love them even more when it has nothing to do with me.”

When Harvick and Busch tangled with less than ten to go in the Southern 500, the fun began for everyone.

“The 18 just hooked me,” Harvick radioed to his crew. A crew member replied telling the 2007 Daytona 500 champion to keep his cool and that Harvick would be able to “get him back later.”

When their cars came to rest on pit road after the race, Harvick’s back bumper and Busch’s front were touching. Harvick climbed from his car and headed toward Busch’s to chat. Busch, who didn’t have his reverse gear (NASCAR officials confirmed after the race that Busch’s reverse gear was broken) forcibly pushed Harvick’s No. 29 out of his way.

Harvick’s Chevy took an immediate left turn and bumped the pit road wall. Busch drove away.

“[It] makes for good TV,” Allmendinger said. “I love turning on SportsCenter and seeing them fighting. It’s good times. I love it.”

Allmendinger chats with George Vogel of WLWT (not pictured)

On Tuesday, NASCAR fined Busch and Harvick $25,000 and put them on probation for all NASCAR-sanctioned events through June 15, including the $1 million, non-points paying All Star race in Charlotte next Saturday night.

Allmendinger admitted on Wednesday he’s tried to keep his nose clean and earn the respect of his peers in the Sprint Cup Series. But in order to get to Victory Lane, a place he’s never visited in 126 Sprint Cup starts, he might need some help.

“It’s tough to do so to go out there and run against some of these guys,” he said. “They are the best in the world and any time they do dumb things to make it a lot easier on the rest of us to go out there and beat them, I’m all for it.”