Force

	Bazemore

In the early 1990s, as John Force was building his Funny Car empire and beginning to rack up consecutive NHRA championships, his most nagging adversary was Al Hofmann, who took many a verbal pot shot at Force, win or lose. The exchanges between the two were always entertaining, rarely mean-spirited, and almost as much an element of showmanship than any real animosity.

But today, things have become a bit more acrimonious between Force and his latest arch-rival, Whit Bazemore -- and Bazemore's tuner, Lee Beard.

This season began with Bazemore and Force's team driver Tony Pedregon engaging in several wars of words following a staging disagreement between the two back in Houston. On Saturday, during the day's first qualifying session at the 16th O'Reilly Mid-South Nationals at Memphis Motorsports Park, the combatants in this latest episode of psychological warfare suddenly became Force and Beard after Force felt that the Matco Tools crew chief lagged excessively behind his own team in getting Bazemore prepared to stage.

ESPN's replays show that Force had already completed his burnout, had backed up, had his crew raise and lower the body of his Castrol Mustang to complete final preparations and was ready to stage while the body on Bazemore's machine was still raised. After rolling to the starting line, the actual staging procedure for both drivers was routine -- but that wasn't what Force was angry about when he climbed from his race car following the run and shouted his objections in the direction of Bazemore.

"I know it's not you," he exclaimed. "It's your crew chief and I know what he's doing. He waits too long to start because he says I do long burnouts. Has he been watching me race out there or what? I don't do long burnouts. Guys could have their legs cut off from their clutches getting too hot and coming out of the car at 1000 feet. I'm not going to take this anymore."

When Beard and his crew arrived at the turnoff to tow Bazemore's car back to the pits, Force got into Beard's face and repeated what he had said to Bazemore -- in some rather colorful language. It appeared for a moment that blows would be exchanged but both crews and NHRA officials arrived on the scene to prevent any fisticuffs.

"We had no idea that anyone on that team was unhappy with the way we race them," said Beard. "Nobody has ever said anything to us. We aren't going to lay down and run our car the way John Force wants. We know the rules and we have a right to be out here, too."

In Saturday's second session, both Force and Bazemore were paired again, but this time, Bazemore's burnout and staging procedure was much more in synch with Force's. Following the run, Force approached Beard as Lee backed the team's tow vehicle up to Bazemore's fuel coupe, in what appeared to be an attempt to apologize, but Beard quickly shut the driver's side window.

Did Beard and Bazemore succeed in getting "inside Force's head?" Did Force convince his defiant challengers that they had better keep pace with him during their staging procedure? With six races left in 2003, there's ample time left in the season to get answers to those questions.

Bill Stephens covers the NHRA for ESPN and ESPN.com.