Stewart isn’t pleased with the recent NASCAR altercations; Here’s a list of Tony Stewart altercations bringing $200,000 in NASCAR fines
Tony Stewart isn’t shy on altercations. He’s collected at least $200,000 in fines from NASCAR. Nothing compared to the $122,231,607 in race earnings collected between 1999-2015.
Fights and altercations are nothing new to NASCAR. You could argue that the sport was built on them from the Daytona 500 television debut that resulted in a fight between Cale Yarborough and Bobby Allison.
Fights are good for the sport. Though lately, they haven’t really been fighting, as pointed out by Stewart.
Stewart is a three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion with 49 career wins. Along the way, he’s been in several altercations of his own, including one with Joey Logano.
Note: Some on-track NASCAR altercations have been left off this list.
Related: Tony Stewart punches nagging dirt racing fan after race (Video)
Tony Stewart NASCAR altercations
2000, he was in a post-race altercation with Jeff Gordon at Watkins Glen.
2001, Stewart spun Gordon after the race at Bristol resulting a $10,000 fine and probation.
2002, he was involved in an altercation with a photographer at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. That brought a $50,000 fine from NASCAR and he was penalized with a 25-point deduction.
2004, he was involved in an altercation with Brian Vickers at Watkins Glen. Stewart reached through the window net and punched him. NASCAR fined him $50,000, stripped 25 driver & owner points and put him back on probation.
2004, he turned Kasey Kahne into the wall and later took the win at Chicagoland Speedway. Crew members got into it during the race, shortly after the contact.
2005, Stewart hit Brian Vickers after the race at Watkins Glen. That brought a $5,000 fine and another probation.
2007, Stewart won at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Some curse words came out during his victory lane interview. He was penalized 25 points and fined $25,000.
2012, Matt Kenseth and Tony Stewart wrecked while racing for the lead at Bristol. Stewart waited for Kenseth as the end of the pit lane, he then two-hand tossed his helmet at Kenseth’s car.
2013, Tony Stewart confronted Joey Logano after the race at Auto Club Speedway. Crew members also got involved.
2013, Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart had a verbal disagreement after the race at Richmond Raceway. Stewart ran him down after the race.
2014 at Charlotte, Brad Keselowski accidentally ran over Tony Stewart on pit lane after the race. Stewart hit reverse and slammed into the nose of Keselowski. He was fined $25,000 by NASCAR.
2016, Stewart was fined $35,000 by NASCAR for lugnut comments.
Tony Stewart on AJ Foyt and Arie Lutendyk
Related: Foyt slaps Arie Luyendyk (Video)
A.J. Foyt smacked Arie Luyendyk in victory lane in the inaugural IndyCar race at Texas Motor Speedway.
“I don’t know what I was more upset about: The fact that we didn’t win the race because we had a lap lead over Arie (before an engine failure), or the fact that I didn’t get a chance to get into the middle of a fight with A.J. and Arie,” Tony Stewart said as he recalled the Foyt altercation.
“A.J. and I should start (along with Texas Motor Speedway president) Eddie (Gossage), a little fantasy camp for drivers to teach them how to fight instead of this ‘patty cake, patty cake’ shit.”
Tony Stewart on Clint Bowyer and Ryan Newman
Related: Clint Bowyer punches Ryan Newman on pit lane after the race at Charlotte Motor Speedway (Video)
Earlier in the year, Clint Bowyer (A Stewart-Haas driver) went to punching on Ryan Newman as Newman remained in the car after the race.
“No, Bowyer’s not even close to the Hall of Fame. That kids has to take his helmet off if he’s gonna fight,” Tony Stewart said of his driver’s fight with Ryan Newman back in May.
“These kids leave their helmets on to fight. Men take their helmets off and they fight. If you’re gonna fight, fight.”
“The first thing I did was text Clint. I said, ‘Take your helmet off if you’re going to get in a fight for Pete’s sake.’ “
Stewart on Cole Custer vs Tyler Reddick
Related: Cole Custer and Tyler Reddick get into altercation at Kansas Speedway (Video)
Recently, Cole Custer (a Stewart-Haas Racing driver) got into it with Tyler Reddick on pit lane after a race. During that, Tyler Reddick asked Custer, “Are we going to use hands?” Which Tony Stewart finds hilarious.
“It’s like, ‘Oh my God, what are we doing? We’re going to hold hands to come in from recess and preschool?’ ” Stewart added.
Back in 2014, Kevin Harvick was spectating an altercation between Brad Keselowski and Jeff Gordon. Harvick pushed Keselowski into Gordon on pit lane, to fire up an actual fight.
“That’s why I love Kevin Harvick, when Kevin pushed Keselowski into Jeff Gordon. And for Jeff Gordon to fight, that’s like, you’ve got a better shot of winning the lottery to get Jeff to fight.”
“At least Harvick had the balls to push somebody and say, ‘Listen, if we’re going to do this, let’s do this. Let’s do it right.’”
Tony Stewart on the Denny Hamlin vs Joey Logano altercation
Related: Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano get into an altercation at Martinsville Speedway (Video)
Of course, that brings us to the most recent NASCAR altercation. Denny Hamlin stuffed Joey Logano into the wall late in the race at Martinsville Speedway.
After the race, Logano went over to initiate a discussion. That discussion ended with Logano giving a firm shoulder pat to Hamlin.
Hamlin took off after him. The crews jumped in and it resulted in a suspension for one of the crew members who tossed Hamlin to the ground.
Joey Logano asked Hamlin, ‘Do you want to go?” Hamlin responded, “Yes, come here.” But, the two drivers were unable to reach each other through the pile of crew members from each organization.
Tony Stewart hates all that…
“It frustrates the crap out of me,” Stewart said.
“I can’t stand watching these guys. I’m watching Joey Logano with his hand on his crew guy in front of him so he can act like he’s swinging back there. For God’s sake. This is getting embarrassing.”
“I tell you what, just line both of them up. I’ll whip their ass by myself together. I don’t care. I’ll take them both on. We can do it right after this (luncheon) is over. Take them to the media center, I’ll whip both their asses. You can put them right beside each other. I’ll take them down.”
“You can stand behind me and act like you’re going to do something, Gossage. That way it looks like at least two on two. It looks more fair to them, anyway.”
Tony Stewart was on-hand to be inducted into the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame.
“By the way, next year I will not be getting the sportsmanship award from Texas Motor Speedway,” Stewart quipped.
More
AJ Foyt comes from a different era of racing driver
Stewart, Dale Jr on cheating in racing
Tony Stewart punches nagging dirt racing fan after race (Video)
Stewart comments on the future of NASCAR
Links
Tony Stewart | Stewart-Haas Racing | Tony Stewart Racing | Texas Motor Speedway | NASCAR
