Commentary: Harvick, Busch need to resolve dysfunctional dynamics in Chase

Family dynamics are always an issue as we approach the holiday season. You invite Crazy Uncle Mike over for Thanksgiving dinner and before you know it, Brother Larry takes a pumpkin pie to the face because Crazy Mike is off the meds.

That’s the wholesome dynamic we see at Stewart-Haas Racing as we head into the four-race stretch run of the Chase for the championship.

While the stout four-driver Joe Gibbs Racing crew is hanging out, cool and calm, protecting their turf, the SHR gang seems intent on taking a wrecking ball to their championship chances.

Why else would you jab a teammate in the face?

Kevin Harvick leaned inside the car of teammate Kurt Busch and jabbed him after everyone had turned off their engines in Sunday’s race at Talladega. He was obviously miffed that Busch’s car made contact with his on the cool-down lap.

“Yeah, the final laps everybody is just pushing and shoving and then he (Busch) cleaned the side of our car out after the checkered flag,” Harvick said. “I don’t really understand that, but all-in-all the Jimmy John’s Chevrolet team did a great job and didn’t have a scratch on it until then.”

Busch tried to put an apologetic spin on it, although the visual evidence doesn’t match the kumbaya spirit.

“He has a misunderstanding of the call at the end of the race,” Busch said. “He will understand it and I’m sure he will clear it up in his interview. For us, we are great teammates. We are doing good together. We have to work together to beat all these other teams out there and he knows that.”

Busch is right about one thing: They will need to work together, especially because the Gibbs guys have four drivers – Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin and Matt Kenseth – advancing in the next-to-final round.

Racing teammates always are an unusual dynamic in motor sports. In the end, it is each driver for himself. But you don’t want any contentious relationships in play before the green flag drops.

Harvick and Busch are two of the best drivers in the business. They are also among the most ornery.

To his credit, Busch has worked hard to rid himself of that Bad Boy image since crossing over to SHR in 2014. He’s qualified for the Chase three consecutive seasons now.

Harvick has a contentious body of work in the Chase involving physical confrontations. Harvick shoved Jimmie Johnson in the chest following the Chase opener in Chicago last year. And in 2014, he helped trigger a fracas between Brad Keselowski and Jeff Gordon in Texas when he shoved Keselowski into Gordon. But they weren’t his teammates.

Busch and Harvick have an edge to them, which can be both good and bad. They obviously take after their boss, Tony Stewart. Throw in Danica Patrick, who despite her struggles never suffers fools lightly. That gives you four Type-A personalities under the same roof.

You don’t have to be Dr. Phil to realize that tensions can escalate in a hurry.

So maybe this is a one-and-done deal. Maybe not.

Regardless, these boys are going to be fun to watch. Just be careful of any flying pumpkin pies.