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LOUDON, N.H. - NASCAR was threatening very heavy penalties Sunday after tempers ran hot during the race.
"We're going to do whatever we need to do, whether it's to park a guy for a week or park a guy for nine weeks," NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said. "We're going to do whatever we need to do to prevent retaliation on the racetrack, particularly under the caution (flag), because under the caution they're endangering other people."
The race was marred by 10 caution flags, many brought out by collisions that sent one or more cars into the wall.
On Lap 165 of the 300-lap race, rookie Kyle Busch bumped Kasey Kahne , last year's top rookie, sending him hard into the wall. Kahne restarted his battered car and drove it slowly along the bottom of the track until Busch came by in Turn 1. Kahne then shot up the track, hitting Busch.
NASCAR parked Kahne for the rest of the day and summoned the driver and team owner Ray Evernham to its hauler.
Joe Nemechek and Mike Bliss collided on Lap 191, sending Bliss into the wall on Turn 1. Seconds later, after the yellow flag was displayed, Michael Waltrip hit Robby Gordon , sending Gordon into the wall and spinning out Sterling Marlin .
Gordon, his car smashed on both ends, waited until Waltrip came past again and tried to back into him, missing Waltrip and nearly hitting points leader Tony Stewart , who had to stop to avoid Gordon. Gordon then got out of his car, waited for Waltrip, feigned as if he was going to walk in front of the No. 15 and threw his helmet at the car, hitting it just below the driver's window.
In a TV interview, Gordon said, "You know, everybody thinks Michael is a good guy. He's not a good guy. The caution was out and he wrecked me."
Gordon then called Waltrip a name, which will likely cost Gordon a fine and points.
Waltrip said he was just defending his position: "I just stood my ground and he just kept coming and turned himself into the wall."
Gordon and Waltrip were brought to the NASCAR hauler.
TEAMMATE BATTLE: At the end of the race, as Ryan Newman and Stewart were battling for the victory, Roush Racing teammates Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle were dueling for third. Kenseth squeezed his colleague in the end. "If it would've been any other time in the race, he would have gone right by me," Kenseth said. "But, right there, you've got to race all you can for position. And the way the leaders were going at it, I thought maybe it could've been for the win."