Now Stewart is Angry Over In Turn Three

Last week we saw the old Tony doing what he does, and that's slap and snap at people.

We didn't see it at a NASCAR track, but at a USAC event.

It's been a while since he's lost his cool and it did surprise me, but only because we haven't seen it in a while. Home Depot / Joe Gibbs Racing had sent Tony to anger management training (Which probably ticked him off even more) quite a while ago and it seemed that at least on the surface, he was biting his tongue.

When you're told to stifle your normal behavioral patterns, it really sucks and ticks you off even more... oh, sorry, enough about me.

With Tony's The Home Depot team seeming to struggle in the traditional time of year when he usually starts to get his mojo on, and having the completely new realm of now being a publicly acknowledged* new team owner of Stewart Haas Racing, you have to wonder if the Tony beast is starting to stir underneath from the subtle but growing levels of stress that can be associated with either event.

Or is Tony just being Tony?

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With that, I present to the illustrious Loose In Turn Three panel the following question:

With Tony Stewart Acting out over in USAC, what's that about? I thought he had gotten a grip on his outbursts? Do you think the stress of starting up a new team might be getting to him?


Tim Zaegel of Do You NASCAR?: You said it right there in your last line .... it's just Tony being Tony. I think taking on the role of a car owner in the Cup Series is likely to change anyone, and Tony's no exception, but at the same time, I see him as one of those guys that for the most part is always going to be who he is. If he feels like grabbing an official, then that's most likely what he's going to do. Tony's always had a hot temper, so I've had a tough time figuring out why this would shock so many people.

Charlie Turner of On Pit Row: It could be true that the stress of all that is happening around him is getting to Stewart a bit. It would get to any normal human, I would think. But I don't think the fact that Stewart got up in the grill of some USAC official had much to do with that. Stewart has and probably always will do things like that. In that way, he is much like his idol, A J Foyt. And nobody ever thought that stress got to A J much.


Of course it wouldn't be Loose in Turn Three without two other questions to round out the number three! Now would it?

So, Tim over on Do You NASCAR asks:
Q: Is Randy Moss' recent 50% purchase of what is now Moss Motorsports good for the sport?


And Charlie from On Pit Row asks:
Should Tony Stewart look for the hot, young prospect, maybe someone from the open wheel ranks, instead of a current, high dollar star like Ryan Newman for his second car at Stewart-Haas?

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*I say publicly acknowledged team ownership because of something Shana Mayfield said in an interview. Whether it was looking back at, or knowing something then... That's up to you.
http://nascar-bits.blogspot.com/2008/07/jeremy-mayfield-wishing-for-ride-but.html

Tony Stewart's raging moment:
http://nascar-bits.blogspot.com/2008/07/stewarts-temper-flares-in-usac.html

The price Tony Stewart pays for playing rag doll with the officials:
http://nascar-bits.blogspot.com/2008/07/stewart-fined-for-being-stewart-in-usac.html

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