By Reid Spencer

updated 6:23 p.m. ET Oct. 28, 2008

Former Sprint Cup driver and current Speed television analyst Jimmy Spencer made his reputation with aggressive driving and the occasional dust-up in the garage. Spencer gives his take on his top five fights of NASCAR's modern era:

Cale Yarborough vs. Bobby Allison at Daytona (1979)
The back story: Fighting for the lead on the last lap of the Daytona 500, Yarborough and Donnie Allison collided repeatedly on the asphalt and the infield grass before wrecking in Turn 3 and coming to a stop. Bobby Allison (Donnie's brother) passed by the wreck, crossed the finish line, drove back around the track and parked his car near Yarborough's. He climbed out and began swapping punches with Yarborough.

Spencer's take: "That's the one everybody remembers. A lot of people don't know it, but Cale was a Golden Gloves boxer. There wasn't a yellow line in those days (to indicate a no-passing zone at the bottom of the track). It would have been interesting to see what NASCAR would have done (given the recent penalty to Regan Smith at Talladega)."

Jimmy Spencer vs. Kurt Busch at Michigan (2003)
The back story: Radio conversation revealed that Busch tried to crush the fender of Spencer's car. So after the race, Spencer punched him — while Busch was still sitting in his car in the garage. Busch suffered a broken tooth and a bloody nose. Spencer was suspended for one race and fined $25,000, and both drivers were placed on probation.

Spencer's take: "I remember some guy punching Kurt Busch. I still can't believe they suspended me. That was wrong."

Carl Edwards vs. Kevin Harvick at Lowe's Motor Speedway (2008)
The back story: After Nationwide Series practice Oct. 9, Edwards confronted Harvick in the garage, where heated words led to a scuffle. The fuse had been lit the previous Sunday in the Sprint Cup race at Talladega, where Edwards' error triggered a wreck that damaged 12 cars, including Harvick's. In a subsequent TV interview, Harvick used the word "pansy" when describing Edwards' race strategy.

Spencer's take: "I like Carl, because I like his aggressive style, but these two guys don't need this at this point. (Chase leader) Jimmie Johnson's just sitting back and laughing at them. Carl did the right thing at Talladega. He apologized, and that should have been it."

Tony Stewart vs. Kurt Busch at Daytona (2008)
The back story:  This is NASCAR's version of the phantom punch. During practice for the

Chris Stanford / Getty Images file Jimmy Spencer punched Kurt Busch in the face after a race in 2003.

Budweiser Shootout in February, two drivers who don't like each other very much traded shots on the racetrack and earned a trip to the NASCAR hauler. During the "discussion," Busch allegedly made derogatory references to Stewart's girth and the length of his hair. Stewart reportedly threw a punch that connected near Busch's right eye, though no one has gone on the record to confirm that a blow was struck.

Spencer's take: "I think nobody was in there to see it who would talk about it, but he definitely hit him."

Harvick vs. Juan Pablo Montoya at Watkins Glen (2007)
The backstory: Late in last year's Cup race at the Glen, the cars of Montoya and Harvick collided in Turn 1 after Montoya's attempt to block Martin Truex Jr. went awry. The drivers traded shoves before NASCAR officials and Harvick's teammate Jeff Burton (another casualty of the wreck) arrived to restrain them.

Spencer's take (still smarting from his 2003 suspension): "They let that go on national TV. They put their hands on each other. There are so many times they've let things go, and I get bothered by that."

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