Pit Road Mishap Gets ‘Smoke’ Steaming
Three weeks ago, the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series made its way to Kansas Speedway. At that time, Tony Stewart – driver of the no. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet owned by Joe Gibbs Racing – sat third in points, trailing current Chase leader Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson by less than 20 points. Stewart went into that race with the best average finish at Kansas amongst all Cup Series drivers, and sat in first place when heavy rain brought out the red flag. Had the race not restarted about two hours later and they ended the race there at that point as many felt that NASCAR would and should do, Stewart would have left the Midwest with his fourth win of the season and would have been first in points with a 46 point lead. Instead, NASCAR officials made the decision to get the race back underway, and shortly after the green flag waived, Stewart found himself pinched in the wall. What seemed to be well played strategy for Stewart and Crew Chief Greg Zipadelli quickly turned into a dismal 39th place finish, and they instead left Kansas fourth in the standings – 117 points away from first place.
The following week at Talladega, the Home Depot Team once again looked as though they might be in line for a victory as Stewart ran solidly in the Top 5 as the race dwindled down to the closing laps. On the final lap, Stewart boldly dove out of line in an effort to pass the Hendrick duo of Gordon and Johnson. However, without a strong Gibbs car or restrictor-plate racing teammate Dale Junior up there to give the support Stewart needed to compete for the win, the only car to follow “Smoke” out of line was the no. 9 Dodge of Kasey Kahne. Tony quickly sank back in the pack and brought home a disappointing 8th place finish, losing even more ground to eventual race winner Jeff Gordon.
Despite another good run, things continued to grow more bleak for Stewart at company this past Saturday under the lights of Lowe’s Motor Speedway. After a disappointing qualifying run started Stewart deep in the field and only running around twentieth for the first quarter of the race, the Home Depot crew made the necessary changes to Tony’s car to get him up front, and he quickly found himself once again contending for the win. That is until a Lap 177 incident on Pit Road seemingly once again ended Stewart’s hopes. The incident occurred when the field underwent their routine pit stops under caution. As Stewart’s crew finished up their stop and Tony proceeded to exit his stall, the no. 15 Chevy of Paul Menard was entering at the same time and made slight contact with the no. 20. The contact then got the Home Depot Crew screaming into the radios so loudly that they never even saw the 9 car of Kasey Kahne, which Stewart next ran into causing the most damage to his car.
Despite the fact that the team’s hard work and diligence to the 20 car was able to salvage a respectable seventh place finish later that evening, the incident still has the team a little more than upset. This isn’t the first time during this year’s Chase that Stewart has had contact with Menard – who is not competing for a Championship. Tony engaged the 15 car after their first stop at Dover (the second race of this year’s Chase) when he felt that the DEI rookie driver was crowding him in the pits. Stewart and Zipadelli are frustrated by the lack of “give and take” shown by Menard. In an article posted on tonystewart.com, Zippy stated, “… it would have been real easy for hmi to give us the go ahead, not that he has to, but it is about give-and-take. If you have respect for people and they are racing for something you are not, you kind of usually do that. If you don’t, the roles will usually be reversed.”
During his 9-year NASCAR career, Stewart has developed quite the reputation for getting his nose in the middle of controversy and retaliating to incidents in a manner that his opposition doesn’t usually appreciate. With only five races left on the season and Stewart still technically in contention for the Championship, chances are that we probably won’t see Tony retaliate in the next race or two. But, if he’s unable to make up some ground soon, then Menard could have a world of a headache on his shoulders by the time we get to Homestead this year.
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11 opinions for Pit Road Mishap Gets ‘Smoke’ Steaming
cars » Pit Road Mishap Gets ‘Smoke’ Steaming
Oct 16, 2007 at 4:52 pm
[…] Luci wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt … he necessary changes to Tony’s car to get him up front, and he quickly found himself once again contending for the win….Despite the fact that the team’s hard work and diligence to the 20 car was able to salvage a respectable seventh place finish later that evening, the incident s…However, without a strong Gibbs car or restrictor-plate racing teammate Dale Junior up there to give the support Stewart needed to compete for the win, the only c…Tony engaged the 15 car after their first stop at Dover (the second race of this year’s… […]
Roc
Oct 17, 2007 at 9:36 am
T.Z
This was a good article. I listen to part of the replay of stewart’s radio show this morning and I think the 15 team will get there’s and possibly this weekend. Stewart did say it would not affect me at all to see menard in the wall this weekend. He also made some strong comments about how menard has never proven himself and his daddy bought him into nascar. I was wondering how you felt about that. And also to pour salt in the wound knowing the stewart fan you are apperantly the fifteen crew sat there and clam as they taped up the front of stewarts car.
I think that that is horrible sportsmanship like stewart said there probally never be in this postion for the chase, and know how it feel to be taken out.
roc
Roc
Oct 17, 2007 at 9:38 am
I guess i spelled clapped wrong but that is what menards crew was doing.
roc
Tim Zaegel
Oct 17, 2007 at 1:20 pm
Obviously, I’m a huge Tony Stewart fan. I think the 20 team’s assessment of Paul Menard is right in some ways, but blown out of proportion in others. The fact that the 15 team was applauding when they taped up the front of Tony’s car is undoubtedly horrible sportsmanship on their part, absolutely no doubt about it. However, I think that something the team has lost sight of through the course of all this is the fact that the incident was in no way intentional and wasn’t caused by aggressive driving. Pit Road’s always a busy place, and Menard’s a young driver. I think if he’d have realized what was going on, he’d have probably given Stewart the space he needed.
What the 15 team needs to do, though, is apologize and get this whole thing behind them. If he keeps agitating Tony Stewart, “Smoke” will certainly be more than happy to put the youngster in the spotlight momentarily and give him his ten minutes of fame, but as others have learned in the past, the outcome’s usually not worth it.
Leo
Oct 18, 2007 at 2:00 pm
I would have love to see Smoke get out of the car and run after Menard. Smoke wouldn’t make it 20 feet before giving up.
In all seriousness, if Smoke ever messes up, I hope they hang it over his head for a while.
roc
Oct 18, 2007 at 4:55 pm
I have meet menard i don’t think stewart would have run after him i think menard could take him.
Don
Oct 19, 2007 at 7:00 am
Remember when Rudd’s engine builder hit him in the face after a night race at Richmond? They got it on camera. That doesn’t happen enough.
Tim Zaegel
Oct 19, 2007 at 1:00 pm
Wasn’t that the same race that Kevin Harvick threw a temper tantrum on the hood of Rudd’s car?
Now, THAT just doesn’t happen enough!
Don
Oct 19, 2007 at 1:43 pm
Talk about BS. Harvick used to drive like a mad man. I think that one of the best rivalries in nascar this decade has been Harvick and Biffle. I wish Biffle would’ve thrown a subway sub at me so I’d have a reason to tilt his world.
Tim Zaegel
Oct 19, 2007 at 1:46 pm
My favorite feud in the past few years probably has to be Kurt Busch and Jimmy Spencer … talk about being outmatched!
Don
Oct 19, 2007 at 1:59 pm
Harvick had the tasmanian devil on his hood. What’d you expect.
As far as Jimmy and Bush. When Bush turned and stuck his as* out at Indi, I thought Spencer was going to drive his car through it.
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