I'm not surprised at all by this, Tony has never been shy about stating that if it wasn't for the money he wouldn't be racing in WC. I think last year he made these comments quite frequently.
Thought some of you might like this article that was on the Motorsports TV site.
SAN FRANCISCO
Tony Stewart is a liar.
Don't get mad at me for saying that about last year's Dodge/Save Mart 350 champion. The guy calls himself a liar. He broadcasts it. "I think it's terrible," he said at Thursday's luncheon to publicize Sunday's Winston Cup race at Sears Point. "I feel like I'm lying to race fans because I can't tell them what's going on."
Well, let's back up a minute and figure out what's happening here. Stewart was sitting at a table in a fancy San Francisco restaurant blabbing with the press. He wasn't actually eating. He'd already taken care of that in some hole-in-the-wall dive because he thinks places like that are more authentic and better. One reporter, trying to suck up to him -- we all were doing that so he'd give good quotes -- said he's a kinder, gentler Tony Stewart.
Stewart frowned as if the reporter had criticized his mom. Then he launched into a speechlet. "I'm not so sure I'd call it kinder, gentler," he said. "I don't speak my mind as much. Right or wrong, I always find a way to offend people. Our sport is so clean, if I say something off-center, I create havoc. Pick a topic. If I speak honestly about it, I'd spend the next four weeks covering my tracks. People who praise me for speaking my mind also stick a knife in my back."
He looked around the table. He was talking about us. All I had was a butter knife, and it was in full view. Some slick reporter asked Stewart to give an example of a topic that got him in trouble. "I won't touch that," Stewart said. "Nice try. Obvious, but nice try." He smiled. "Now I say, 'The tires are good and the track is good.' "
In other words, he used to have a big mouth, but lying -- or shying away from the truth -- creates less hassle. He has a reputation for being grumpy, moody. Word's out that he's more cooperative -- that's part of the kinder, gentler deal. But when asked about that, he said, "I've tried to be less accommodating this year."
Less accommodating? Gee, here's a NASCAR guy bragging about having a baseball player's mentality. "My job is to drive the car, not be a media spokesman for three days each weekend," he said. "If I don't focus on my job, I may not be here in three years. I may be driving a truck series or the Busch series."
OK, so don't be a pal, Tony. But what's all this fuss about, anyway? One veteran sportswriter who covers NASCAR said that in the past, Stewart took issue with NASCAR policy about rules and changes and the safety harness. He took issue with just about everything. He did it publicly. When the inevitable heat came down, he'd have to explain, apologize or whatever. It always seemed he was the lightning rod for NASCAR controversy.
"We all loved him because he was outspoken," the writer told me. "Then he shut down because he got in trouble. Basically, he went into hiding. This is the most public he's been all year."
At that moment, Stewart didn't seem to mind being public. He was quite relaxed. He said Saturday night he's going to race at Altamont. This was an amazing revelation from a Winston Cup big deal when you consider Altamont is the minor leagues and the big race is the next day. Stewart said he can crash or blow an engine at Altamont without any consequences -- unless he gets killed.
He was honest about all that, and everyone appreciated it. But when it came to other stuff, to the NASCAR nitty-gritty, he said, "People who say honesty is the best policy have never been Winston Cup drivers."