Absolutely awesome! That is all I can come up with to describe JP shoving Harvick out of his face. It was like seeing the neighborhood bully getting his tail kicked by the new guy. No punches were thrown, just some simple shoves. For JP to stand up for himself the way he did was pretty impressive.

What it also says is that Harvick used some brains and sensibility throughout the altercation because he appeared to not want to get too involved in a shoving match even though his flapping gums provoked it.

I still remember the Harvick choking incident with Biffle after a Bristol Busch race where he came flying over the hoods of cars like Larry Holmes chasing Mitch Green. He’s fully capable of going on tilt, but he stayed cool.

Or is it possible it was just a matter of Montoya’s stature and resume that made Harvick rethink who he was dealing with. Harvick’s dealt with all kinds of scrutiny before, but he will likely be liked even more by his fans after this and possibly even praised by NASCAR for showing more restraint.

Montoya’s fans are mad he finished poorly, but I think they were excited to see him mix it up and it gave them their first glimpse about what is great about NASCAR, which is personalities and personalities clashing.