Tony Stewart on Leaving Without Comment

By now we all know Tony left the Phoenix race without commenting with the press. He says he was upset about the debris yellow flag situations, even though the last yellow flag he had to tackle was for debris. THREE CARS of it to be exact.

It's not all jiving with me yet that his leaving without comment is about the debris cautions, but it is what it is.

NASCAR on the other hand, is very disappointed in Tony's opinions.

"NASCAR has been running races since 1948, and we place the safety of the drivers at the top of the list," said spokesman Jim Hunter. "We have more people and more resources than ever officiating our races. The safety of the drivers is our first priority. It has always been that way and will continue to be that way."

Furthermore, NASCAR does not force drivers to meet with the media but has post-race procedures in place for the top three finishers and highest finishing rookie. The official entry blank each week lists the policy, but Stewart was adamant on his radio show that he is not required to abide by it.

Ya gotta wonder though, if I were a sponsor shelling out some money to fund his race team, for the media exposure for doing so, just how would I feel, when the exposure is the primary reason behind sponsoring an athlete or athletic event.

So yet again, we are on the receiving end of another driver's tirade. Good for Tony for speaking his mind. Bad for Tony for not thinking of the fans again, but about himself. For not having the maturity or ability to filter his words and leaving us in the lurch as to why, when J. Gordon passed him back for the lead, and after they rubbed fenders, that he dropped back after that, despite having been able to pass Gordon just a few laps before that. I was wondering if he had cut a tire or something? That is what I was interested in, but instead, all I see are complaints.

AP Article