MONTREAL - Kevin Harvick has ignored Tony Stewart's phone calls, assuming that Stewart wants to talk about and apologize for roughing up Harvick near the end of the Allstate 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last Sunday.
"He's called," Harvick said Thursday. "I just haven't answered."
Stewart drives part-time in the Busch Series for Harvick, but that doesn't mean that Harvick will let what happened Sunday just slide. The Richard Childress Racing driver wound up seventh after Stewart passed him for the lead with 10 laps remaining, caving in Harvick's right-front fender on the straightaway.
"The biggest disappointment was just how we weren't able to finish second," Harvick said. "We had the second-best car and wound up finishing seventh. Unfortunately, it was just a matter of time before he got by, and he just kind of caught me off guard."
Stewart, who has criticized drivers for not giving him enough room, admitted he made a mistake. Harvick said if a driver preaches for drivers to give each other more room, the driver needs to abide by it as well.
"I understand he probably made a mistake, but when you're on the receiving end of it, it's not a part that I ... take lightly," Harvick said. "We lost a chance to win the Brickyard 400. He was going to pass us. It was just a matter of time. For 15 laps side by side, changing the lead back and forth, and from my end, it just looks like he just got in a hurry and got a little bit frustrated because he couldn't get by as easy as he wanted to.
"Things happen. It's part of the sport, and I'm not going to sit up here and whine about it. It's just something that happened. At some point it will go the other way, and you just hope that it's not something that is harped upon if it goes that way."
Harvick said the two racers will remain friends.
"I don't think you let anything on the track affect your relationship off the race track," Harvick said. "Obviously, you expect one thing to happen, and it happens another way. For me, it's better to just take some time and think about things and just realize where we are and go from there.
"I wouldn't think it would affect anything off the race track. I'll get over it - at some point. And we'll still be friends, and we'll go from there."
"He's called," Harvick said Thursday. "I just haven't answered."
Stewart drives part-time in the Busch Series for Harvick, but that doesn't mean that Harvick will let what happened Sunday just slide. The Richard Childress Racing driver wound up seventh after Stewart passed him for the lead with 10 laps remaining, caving in Harvick's right-front fender on the straightaway.
"The biggest disappointment was just how we weren't able to finish second," Harvick said. "We had the second-best car and wound up finishing seventh. Unfortunately, it was just a matter of time before he got by, and he just kind of caught me off guard."
Stewart, who has criticized drivers for not giving him enough room, admitted he made a mistake. Harvick said if a driver preaches for drivers to give each other more room, the driver needs to abide by it as well.
"I understand he probably made a mistake, but when you're on the receiving end of it, it's not a part that I ... take lightly," Harvick said. "We lost a chance to win the Brickyard 400. He was going to pass us. It was just a matter of time. For 15 laps side by side, changing the lead back and forth, and from my end, it just looks like he just got in a hurry and got a little bit frustrated because he couldn't get by as easy as he wanted to.
"Things happen. It's part of the sport, and I'm not going to sit up here and whine about it. It's just something that happened. At some point it will go the other way, and you just hope that it's not something that is harped upon if it goes that way."
Harvick said the two racers will remain friends.
"I don't think you let anything on the track affect your relationship off the race track," Harvick said. "Obviously, you expect one thing to happen, and it happens another way. For me, it's better to just take some time and think about things and just realize where we are and go from there.
"I wouldn't think it would affect anything off the race track. I'll get over it - at some point. And we'll still be friends, and we'll go from there."
