Two varieties of blowouts marred a weekend NASCAR would rather forget — the tires at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Tony Stewart’s temper at O’Reilly Motorsports Park.
Didn’t hear about Stewart, acting in his capacity as a USAC Midget car owner, slapping the headset off one official and shoving another? Not surprised because the incident was largely ignored at first and then overshadowed by Sunday’s Goodyear tire debacle that turned the much-heralded and hyped Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, into a joke.
But while the latter incident is baffling and will have more staying power, thanks in part to Stewart’s tongue-lashing of Goodyear following what he said was its failure to supply a raceable tire at Atlanta in March, the former incident is equally as unexplainable.
And by the way, an exchange of words is a disagreement. Slapping a headset off another person’s noggin and shoving another is not an altercation. It’s assault.
One thing is for sure. Stewart’s latest implosion sullies each and every good deed he performs, and he performs a lot. From donating millions to Kyle and Patti Petty’s Victory Junction Gang Camp to assisting flood victims and terminally ill children and donating bulletproof vests for police dogs, Stewart is known for having a big heart.
But that image doesn’t necessarily wash with the images — caught on videotape — of him jabbing his finger in the chest of a USAC official and then slapping his headset off and then delivering a two-hand shove to another.
That’s behavior that wouldn’t be tolerated in other professional sports where the bodies of officials are sacrosanct. And it shouldn’t be tolerated in USAC.
Tony Stewart was fined $10,000 Monday for what the U.S. Auto Club deemed unsportsmanlike conduct during a midget race last week at O’Reilly Raceway Park.
Tony Stewart Racing also was placed on probation for the remainder of the USAC season.
“While we respect the passion of our teams in the spirit of competition, we regret this incident occurred and are dedicated to averting a recurrence in the future,” Jason Smith, vice president of racing operations for USAC, said in a statement.
“Obviously, I handled this particular situation the wrong way, and if I had to do it over again, it never would’ve happened,” Stewart said.
| 
|