(SportsNetwork.com) - The gloves are off for those drivers and teams that remain in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship. That was quite obvious in Sundays race at Texas Motor Speedway, where Jeff Gordon and Brad Keselowski were involved in one of the most memorable brawls in NASCARs history. Texas was the second race in the Eliminator Round of the Chase. Eight drivers are currently in the playoff field, but after next Sundays event at Phoenix International Raceway, the field will be trimmed to just four drivers who will battle for the Sprint Cup Series championship on Nov. 16 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. This year, NASCAR radically changed its format for the Chase, which included an expanded field of 16 drivers and a series of elimination rounds. In the next chapter of NASCARs Boys, Have At It, mayhem broke out on pit road after the race had concluded at Texas. While Jimmie Johnson was heading to victory lane, his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Gordon, parked his car right next to Keselowski on pit road and then approached him to express his displeasure for an incident that occurred in the closing laps. Gordon, who is attempting to win his fifth series title this year, held the lead for the restart in the first of two green-white-checkered finishes, but Keselowski bumped into him while battling for position following the restart. Gordon suffered a flat tire from the contact and then spun out in turn 3. He ended up finishing one lap down in 29th, while Keselowski placed third. At first, Gordon had heated words with Keselowski while crew members from both of their teams were engaged in a shoving match. Then second-place finisher Kevin Harvick approached Keselowski from behind and pushed him. That sparked the big brawl with plenty of punches being thrown. Kevin likes everybody to fight for some reason, Keselowski said. I came here to race, not to fight. I raced as hard as I could, and these guys just didnt like it. Harvick also was irritated with Keselowski for his actions on the track. If youre going to race like that, youre going to have to man up at some point, Harvick said of Keselowski. Hes done it several times. Cant just turn around and let everybody fight all the time without you in there. Have to stand up for your actions at some point yourself. Both Gordon and Keselowski suffered cuts and bruises to their faces and lips during the altercation. There wasnt a conversation, Gordon said. You cant have a conversation with (Keselowski). He gets himself in this position, and he has to pay the consequences. Im going to race him the same way he races me. That kind of stuff is just uncalled for, and Im not going to stand for it. NASCAR is reviewing the incident, and penalties could be forthcoming. NASCAR senior vice president of competition and racing development Robin Pemberton said the sanctioning body will look at the film of the fight and determine what, if any, actions will be taken. We knew the new (Chase) format was going to put a lot of pressure on people to perform and make aggressive moves and decisions out there on the racetrack, Pemberton said. You could see the result of that after the race. Were going to take our time, and weve got a lot of film to review and things like that. The important thing is to make the right decision at the end of the day. Pemberton did note that NASCAR had no issue with Keselowski making contact with Gordon after the restart. To them (NASCAR), Im sure its a racing incident, but to me, its just a bunch of crap, Gordon said. The kid (Keselowski) is just doing stuff way over his head. Thats just uncalled for. Youre racing for a win and a championship. You dont go slam someone and cut their left-rear tire. If thats what it takes, then no problem. We can do the same thing to him. This is the second time in this 10-race Chase that Keselowski has been in a physical altercation with another competitor. After the Oct. 12 night race at Charlotte had ended, Denny Hamlin had to be restrained from going after Keselowski in the garage area and then Matt Kenseth started a fight with Keselowski between a pair of team haulers. Keselowski intentionally bumped Hamlin from behind and attempted to spin him out during the cool-down lap after the two tangled multiple times following the last restart with two laps to go. Then on pit road, Keselowski purposely ran into the back of Kenseth before he bumped Tony Stewart from behind. NASCAR fined Keselowski $50,000 and placed him on probation for four races for his actions at Charlotte. The following week, he won the elimination race for the Contender Round at Talladega Superspeedway, which automatically advanced him into the Eliminator Round. Well go through these battles, Keselowski said. Ive gone through them before and come out stronger. Ill go through them again and come out stronger, a better racecar driver. But what Im not going to do is back down. Im not going to get in the spot where I was in 2013 where I tried to be exactly what they all wanted me to be, because what they want me to be is a loser, and Im not here to lose. Im here to win. That means Im going to have to drive my car, harder, stronger, faster than everybody out there. Thats what I feel like I did (Sunday at Texas). There were no punches thrown at Charlotte, as Kenseth managed to put Keselowski in a headlock before Kenseths team members were able to pull him away. Kenseth was not penalized. With the brawl at Texas being more physical than the skirmish at Charlotte, NASCAR might hand down stiffer penalties. You shouldnt punch somebody, Pemberton said. Everybody gets together, and when youre holding on to each other and grabbing and this, that and the other, its one thing. When punches are landed, thats a different scenario. Two years ago in the Chase race at Phoenix, Gordon and Clint Bowyers teams were involved in a post-race fight after Gordon intentionally wrecked Bowyer in the closing laps. Gordon was not suspended for the season finale at Homestead, which he won, but he received a $100,000 fine and a loss of 25 points for his actions. The series is now heading to Phoenix, but who knows what will happen there this weekend. Everything is just so intense right now, Harvick said. Everybody is just kind of throwing caution to the wind to do all they can for their team. Everybody is racing as hard as they can. Just glad to be in the mix. Just 18 points separate the eight drivers who are still in the Chase. With none of them winning at either Martinsville or Texas, all four positions for the championship race at Homestead have yet to be determined. Custom Kansas City Royals Nike Jerseys . Colorado came up big against Chicago last spring, and repeated that performance Tuesday night. Varlamov stopped 36 shots and Paul Stastny had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche in a 5-1 victory over the Blackhawks. Custom Chicago Cubs Nike Jerseys . The Brewers finalized a US$36 million, three-year contract with free agent third baseman Aramis Ramirez on Wednesday, adding a much-needed bat to their lineup. https://www.custombaseballnikejerseys.co...jerseys.Voegele will next play Anna Schmiedlova of Slovakia, who saved 10 of 16 break points to defeat Annika Beck of Germany 7-6 (6), 6-4.Also, Marina Erakovic of New Zealand defeated eighth-seeded Caroline Garcia of France 6-2, 4-6, 6-4. Cheap Custom Baseball Jerseys . A criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County District Court said his girlfriend told police they got into the argument early Thursday at his suburban Minneapolis home. Custom Oakland Athletics Nike Jerseys . Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Buddy Robinson scored 43 seconds apart in the second period to lead the Binghamton Senators to a 4-1 victory over the Bulldogs in American Hockey League action Friday night at the Bell Centre. MONTREAL -- For a second year in a row, the Montreal Alouettes will start the CFL season with a new head coach. Alouettes owner Bob Wetenhall announced Monday that Tom Higgins will be the clubs new head coach. The former Edmonton Eskimos and Calgary Stampeders bench boss replaces general manager Jim Popp, who took over on Aug. 1 when the inexperienced Dan Hawkins was fired only five games into the 2013 season. Wetenhall made it clear in a statement that he did not want Popp, who is considered one of the CFLs best GMs but has a career 16-20 record as a coach, to continue in both jobs. "As Ive expressed to the media in recent weeks, I wanted to continue with the formula which has brought us the success weve enjoyed these past 17 years -- having a full-time head coach and a full-time general manager to fill each of these positions," said Wetenhall. "The criteria we established was to find an individual familiar with the CFL; someone with success in that position and a background as a position coach. In addition, we sought an individual with a record for moulding and delivering championship teams. "In Toms seven years as a head coach he won three division championships along with a Grey Cup, and twice earned recognition as the CFLs coach of the year. His head coaching record of 72-53-1 speaks for itself. We welcome Tom to the Alouettes family." Popp had made no secret of wanting to continue coaching, but Wetenhall put out a statement recently saying candidates would be interviewed. A year ago, the Alouettes waited until Feb. 19 to name Hawkins, a former U.S. university coach with no experience of the Canadian game. He was 2-3 when he was fired with the team in disarray. Popp, the Alouettes GM since they returned to Montreal in 1996, took over as coach for the third time in his career and went 6-7. It marked only the second time since 1996 the teamm had a losing record, matching the 8-10 mark Popp put up in his only full season as head coach in 2007.dddddddddddd It hurt that starting quarterback Anthony Calvillo was lost for the season in August to a concussion. This time, the team waited five days longer to name a new coach and came up with Higgins, who stepped down in December after five years as the CFLs director of officiating. Higgins did not even get introduced at a press conference. The club said "time constraints and personal obligations" prevented bringing him to Montreal for the announcement, but that he will talk to the media Tuesday on a conference call. He takes over a team that will not have CFL all-time passing leader Calvillo as its starter for the first time since 2000. Instead, 2006 Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith and young prospect Tanner Marsh are pegged to replace the retired future Hall of Famer. Higgins, who will turn 60 on July 13, led the Eskimos to 13-5 records twice and won a Grey Cup in 2003 in his four years with the club. He had a 28-25 record in three seasons in Calgary from 2005 to 2007. "Tom has worked with and tutored many of the CFLs finest quarterbacks -- Doug Flutie, Henry Burris and Ricky Ray, to mention a few," said team president Mark Weightman. "His expertise will be invaluable in the development of Troy Smith and Tanner Marsh." Higgins has spent 23 years in various CFL jobs, including a stint as GM in Edmonton. A native of Woodbridge, N.J., and a former linebacker Calgary and Saskatchewan in the 1970s. Popp replaced Rod Rust as coach at the end of the 2001 season, but gave way for Don Matthews the following season. He stepped in again when Matthews left for health reasons in 2006. Marc Trestman, now coach of the Chicago Bears, coached the club from 2008-2012, winning two Grey Cups. ' ' '