Cup drivers say debris issue nothing new but he point was exaggerated it
By DAVID POOLE
Tony Stewart tried to find humor Friday.
“It’s a little tender for me to sit down right now,” Stewart said after a 6 a.m. meeting with NASCAR president Mike Helton, vice president for competition Robin Pemberton and Nextel Cup Series director John Darby.
But as Jim Hunter, vice president for corporate communications, announced Stewart had been fined $10,000 and put on probation until Dec. 31, he wasn’t particularly jovial.
“I cannot say strongly enough how disappointing this was to NASCAR and to all of the people who’ve helped build this sport,” Hunter said, referring to Stewart’s remarks comparing NASCAR to pro wrestling and questioning the integrity of its officials. “To have one our star athletes attack the integrity of sport and make what I would call irresponsible accusations, to me that is absolutely just wrong.”
While Stewart backed off his allegations, it’s hard to “un-ring” the bell when a two-time Cup champion says things such as “I’m not sure they’ve run a fair race all year.”
Jeff Gordon, a four-time series champion, said Stewart is “like the Rosie O’Donnell” of NASCAR.
“Controversy is something he’s been used to,” Gordon said. “It brings quite a bit of flair to the sport.” Kyle Busch wasn’t as kind.
“Not to dog on Tony at all,” Busch said, “but I just think he opens his mouth a little too much.”
Stewart was fined for skipping interviews after a second-place finish to Gordon a week ago at Phoenix, interviews any driver who finishes in the top three in a race are obligated to do as per the Nextel Cup rulebook and entry blanks to Cup races.
The reason he didn’t come in, Stewart said, was his frustration over debris cautions that have been mounting in recent weeks.
Four of six cautions at Phoenix were for debris, and 30.9 percent of this year’s yellow flags have been for debris. That’s 7 percent higher than the average over the past two seasons.
But after holding back at Phoenix, Stewart aired his complaints on his Sirius NASCAR Radio show Tuesday, and very little else got any attention Friday as practice opened for Sunday’s Aaron’s 499.
Stewart said he had a 105-degree fever when he did the first 90 minutes of his two-hour show. “I was sick and I still wound up saying things I shouldn’t have said,” he said. “I know I did a lot of damage.”
Hunter said NASCAR officials were unable to contact Stewart until Thursday night and wanted to talk to him before deciding whether he should be penalized. This is the first time a driver has been sanctioned for failing to meet media obligations, and a NASCAR source said this week, “We were going to let him off the hook.”
While Stewart backed off Friday, the controversy is far from dead.
“Ninety percent of the drivers and half the owners have probably had the same feeling,” team owner Jack Roush said. But “when you’re leading the race and you’re holding your breath that nothing will upset your plan, sometimes here comes a caution. It isn’t NASCAR’s fault. It’s just the way things unfold.”
Jeff Burton said Stewart was wrong to use the wrestling analogy.
“When you feel NASCAR is doing something wrong, it’s OK to say that,” Burton said. “In an effort to make his point, I think he intentionally exaggerated, not trying to do harm, but to make his point. But when you start using words liked ‘staged’ or compare it to pro wrestling, that is damaging.”
Gordon said the topic of debris cautions was not a new one.
“There have been some cautions that have been questionable to a lot of us out there,” he said. “They usually fall in the right time for some people and not for others, and so somebody is going to be happy about it and somebody is not going to be happy about it. But never once did I ever think that NASCAR was trying to fix the race or change the outcome of the race.”
Hunter said NASCAR doesn’t want to stop drivers from speaking their minds, but officials will continue to put out cautions when they think the track is not safe for racing, and they will err on the side of safety.
“The sport will continue on, and whether or not is has been damaged is for the fans and the media to decide,” he said. “But I think Tony Stewart now know where he stands with NASCAR.”
By DAVID POOLE
Tony Stewart tried to find humor Friday.
“It’s a little tender for me to sit down right now,” Stewart said after a 6 a.m. meeting with NASCAR president Mike Helton, vice president for competition Robin Pemberton and Nextel Cup Series director John Darby.
But as Jim Hunter, vice president for corporate communications, announced Stewart had been fined $10,000 and put on probation until Dec. 31, he wasn’t particularly jovial.
“I cannot say strongly enough how disappointing this was to NASCAR and to all of the people who’ve helped build this sport,” Hunter said, referring to Stewart’s remarks comparing NASCAR to pro wrestling and questioning the integrity of its officials. “To have one our star athletes attack the integrity of sport and make what I would call irresponsible accusations, to me that is absolutely just wrong.”
While Stewart backed off his allegations, it’s hard to “un-ring” the bell when a two-time Cup champion says things such as “I’m not sure they’ve run a fair race all year.”
Jeff Gordon, a four-time series champion, said Stewart is “like the Rosie O’Donnell” of NASCAR.
“Controversy is something he’s been used to,” Gordon said. “It brings quite a bit of flair to the sport.” Kyle Busch wasn’t as kind.
“Not to dog on Tony at all,” Busch said, “but I just think he opens his mouth a little too much.”
Stewart was fined for skipping interviews after a second-place finish to Gordon a week ago at Phoenix, interviews any driver who finishes in the top three in a race are obligated to do as per the Nextel Cup rulebook and entry blanks to Cup races.
The reason he didn’t come in, Stewart said, was his frustration over debris cautions that have been mounting in recent weeks.
Four of six cautions at Phoenix were for debris, and 30.9 percent of this year’s yellow flags have been for debris. That’s 7 percent higher than the average over the past two seasons.
But after holding back at Phoenix, Stewart aired his complaints on his Sirius NASCAR Radio show Tuesday, and very little else got any attention Friday as practice opened for Sunday’s Aaron’s 499.
Stewart said he had a 105-degree fever when he did the first 90 minutes of his two-hour show. “I was sick and I still wound up saying things I shouldn’t have said,” he said. “I know I did a lot of damage.”
Hunter said NASCAR officials were unable to contact Stewart until Thursday night and wanted to talk to him before deciding whether he should be penalized. This is the first time a driver has been sanctioned for failing to meet media obligations, and a NASCAR source said this week, “We were going to let him off the hook.”
While Stewart backed off Friday, the controversy is far from dead.
“Ninety percent of the drivers and half the owners have probably had the same feeling,” team owner Jack Roush said. But “when you’re leading the race and you’re holding your breath that nothing will upset your plan, sometimes here comes a caution. It isn’t NASCAR’s fault. It’s just the way things unfold.”
Jeff Burton said Stewart was wrong to use the wrestling analogy.
“When you feel NASCAR is doing something wrong, it’s OK to say that,” Burton said. “In an effort to make his point, I think he intentionally exaggerated, not trying to do harm, but to make his point. But when you start using words liked ‘staged’ or compare it to pro wrestling, that is damaging.”
Gordon said the topic of debris cautions was not a new one.
“There have been some cautions that have been questionable to a lot of us out there,” he said. “They usually fall in the right time for some people and not for others, and so somebody is going to be happy about it and somebody is not going to be happy about it. But never once did I ever think that NASCAR was trying to fix the race or change the outcome of the race.”
Hunter said NASCAR doesn’t want to stop drivers from speaking their minds, but officials will continue to put out cautions when they think the track is not safe for racing, and they will err on the side of safety.
“The sport will continue on, and whether or not is has been damaged is for the fans and the media to decide,” he said. “But I think Tony Stewart now know where he stands with NASCAR.”
