Crash Video of the Week: Pre-Martinsville - FanHouse - AOL Sports Blog

Due to the fact that Sprint Cup Series was off last weekend for Easter, the Fanhouse is digging deep for some past highlights from Martinsville Speedway, site of this Sunday's Goody's Cool Orange 500.

In this one from 1999, Tony Stewart and the late Kenny Irwin have their share of run-ins on the half-mile paper clip. Apologies in advance for the European broadcast commentary, I couldn't find the ESPN version.



The conflict got started early in the day when Stewart spun out Irwin in turn 4.

Tony would later call that a mistake, and with good reason.

Stewart then more deliberately took out Irwin after the black No. 28 scooted up in front of his No. 20, and that really got things going bad between the two former open-wheel rivals. Irwin, fed up with being wrecked twice, soon caught up to Stewart again and flat out dumped the No. 20 into the turn 1 wall.

Irwin's reward? Stewart got out of his wrecked Pontiac, gestured at Irwin, and then threw his two heat shields at the No. 28.

The No. 20, though, was done for the day after starting a fight he couldn't quite finish.

The entire incident was a continuation of the feuds that the two had racing in open-wheel cars throughout the Midwest, and showed just how well that relationship had improved.

Ahh... the yesteryears of NASCAR.