BY MONTE DUTTON, AOL

CONCORD, N.C. -- Perhaps you missed the news: Jeff Burton won the Bank of America 500 and moved into second place in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Burton's victory was overshadowed by news of a shoving match.

In the Lowe's Motor Speedway garage two days before the Saturday night race, two contenders, Carl Edwards and Kevin Harvick, had an altercation. Edwards, upset at Harvick's disparaging remarks after Edwards touched off a crash at Talladega, confronted Harvick about it. Uh, let's just say that negotiations broke down. Harvick walked away, and Edwards reportedly grabbed his shoulder. Harvick shoved Edwards, who attempted to ward off his advance. Edwards thrust his hand under Harvick's chin, and it was caught on film.

According to reports coast to coast, Edwards was "choking" Harvick. You'd think he'd been carrying piano wire.

Please, please. Some perspective here. It's not as if NASCAR is the only contact sport. It's not as if fights never break out in football, baseball, basketball and hockey. Yet, anytime behavior occurs that, say, one wouldn't enjoy writing Mother about, the result is coverage of NASCAR in places where it is otherwise sparse.

Never mind the Chase. Never mind Burton's breakthrough. Never mind what else happened to Edwards and Harvick. They exchanged harsh words! Pit-crew members had to pull them apart! One of Burton's crewmen had Edwards in a head lock!

The only thing that could've made it more lurid would've been the participation of O.J. Simpson. Or Jessica Simpson, who arrived at the track over the weekend to give a concert and sing the national anthem.

No O.J. No Jessica. Thus, the story didn't make 1-A.

For the record, no one was hurt. No one was even scratched. They raced each other the next two nights without incident. It was probably much better for them to resolve their differences in the garage since the other available option would've been on the track.

When's the last time a NASCAR driver started a fight in a bar? As best we know, it's been awhile. More than a decade. When's the last time a driver made an entrance in a stretch limo with an entourage of bodyguards? Never. There are no rumors making the rounds of NASCAR figures sponsoring dog or cock fights. Illicit go-kart races in the dead of night? That's a possibility.

Edwards and Harvick are both good guys. Edwards is forthright; Harvick is mischievous. Stir those two personalities into the cauldron of the Chase, and there's a likelihood of tension. Bingo!

One of the apparent reasons speedway officials attempted to suppress photos of the altercation was the fact that Edwards is a major contributor to Speedway Children's Charities. He donated his share of the purse in May's Coca-Cola 600 at the track. Edwards didn't beg them to suppress a story. They tried to hold down the noise out of gratitude for his charitable support. The existence of those photos -- and the fact that they weren't immediately available -- probably amplified the story.

The exchange of beanballs in the Dodgers-Phils baseball series drew plenty of attention, too, but those involved 90-mph fastballs being thrown high, tight, above and behind the heads of human beings. NASCAR is a dangerous sport, but not so much in the garage. Not so much when drivers aren't even in cars. Racing doesn't have a locker room mentality, mainly because racing doesn't have locker rooms in the same sense as other sports. The explosive elements can't help but be mixed.

All in all, it's amazing this doesn't happen more often.

Somehow, though, America can't wait for word of more brouhahas from the "good old boys." Never mind that NASCAR is as far from "The Dukes of Hazzard" as Barack Obama is from "The Jeffersons."

The coverage smacks of stereotyping, particularly when it involves a dispute between one alleged adult from California and another from Missouri. One might even detect a hint of bigotry.

TAKEN FROM THE BANK

--At the start of the Chase, the clear favorites were Jimmie Johnson, Edwards and Kyle Busch. Busch is long gone. Edwards' hopes are barely alive. Johnson probably should've been considered the heavy favorite from the outset.

--Burton's victory was his second of the year. It's the first time he's won more than once in a single season since 2001. He is a canny driver whose ability is underappreciated. Could Burton pull off a title? Sure. The trouble is that he's no better than Johnson at eliminating mistakes, and on most weekends, Johnson's Chevy is a little faster.

--Greg Biffle remains a legitimate contender, and if he can hang in there, he's got a great hand to play in the finale. Biffle has won three times at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

--It annoys Burton to be characterized as "a points racer." Putting a few more victories on the board would fix that problem ... and help with points, too.

--Hard times are kicking in. The race report listed Charlotte's "estimated attendance" as 160,000. The true attendance was closer to 100,000. Either that or thousands of fans thought it was already Halloween and came as empty seats.