DOVER, Del. (AP) - Tony Stewart went from running inside the top 10 to nearly running into the wall. And he wasn't shy about blaming Kurt Busch for the wreck that cost them both a shot at catching winner Martin Truex Jr.
"There are only a couple bad apples out there, and he's one of them," Stewart said.
Stewart and Busch were both running in the top 10 in Monday's race at Dover International Speedway when Busch clipped Stewart as he went to make a pass in lap 271. Busch went into the wall, took out Stewart, and both saw their chances at a victory evaporate.
Stewart also was angry one his crewman was nearly hit by Busch on pit road.
NASCAR parked Busch and he finished 42nd. Stewart returned from an extended stay in the garage to finish 40th.
Good thing Busch won't be able to make it to Stewart's charity dirt race on Wednesday night.
"When you've got guys that you let them go every time they get to you, and they don't do the same thing when the roles are reversed, you finally get tired of it," Stewart said. "You finally learn to race those guys the way they race you. It's Busch and a few others who do that."
Stewart said Busch had the unfortunate habit of racing Stewart on every lap "like it pays a million dollars."
Stewart didn't pay too much in the points standings and is seventh, 486 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
On Wednesday night, Stewart is promoting a half-mile dirt track race at Eldora Speedway, which he owns. The drivers will run the 30-lap race in dirt late-model stock cars. Busch had previously been unable to accept an invitation because of a scheduling conflict.
If they want to settle their differences, the drivers will have to do it in the garage. Stewart said there will be no payback this weekend at Pocono Raceway once the green flag drops.
"I've never tried to wreck him, and I've had plenty of chances to try to wreck the guy. That's not what it was about," he said. "It's about racing people with respect, and he hasn't done that with anybody for a year."
"There are only a couple bad apples out there, and he's one of them," Stewart said.
Stewart and Busch were both running in the top 10 in Monday's race at Dover International Speedway when Busch clipped Stewart as he went to make a pass in lap 271. Busch went into the wall, took out Stewart, and both saw their chances at a victory evaporate.
Stewart also was angry one his crewman was nearly hit by Busch on pit road.
NASCAR parked Busch and he finished 42nd. Stewart returned from an extended stay in the garage to finish 40th.
Good thing Busch won't be able to make it to Stewart's charity dirt race on Wednesday night.
"When you've got guys that you let them go every time they get to you, and they don't do the same thing when the roles are reversed, you finally get tired of it," Stewart said. "You finally learn to race those guys the way they race you. It's Busch and a few others who do that."
Stewart said Busch had the unfortunate habit of racing Stewart on every lap "like it pays a million dollars."
Stewart didn't pay too much in the points standings and is seventh, 486 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
On Wednesday night, Stewart is promoting a half-mile dirt track race at Eldora Speedway, which he owns. The drivers will run the 30-lap race in dirt late-model stock cars. Busch had previously been unable to accept an invitation because of a scheduling conflict.
If they want to settle their differences, the drivers will have to do it in the garage. Stewart said there will be no payback this weekend at Pocono Raceway once the green flag drops.
"I've never tried to wreck him, and I've had plenty of chances to try to wreck the guy. That's not what it was about," he said. "It's about racing people with respect, and he hasn't done that with anybody for a year."
