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

So Why Did Tony Leave the Track?

Tony Stewart said on his Tuesday Night Sirius Satellite show that NASCAR is playing god by all the debris cautions they are throwing, (20 in 9 races) in their attempt to create better racing. (I have to admit, if they drone on and on, it put's me to sleep and I miss the middle third ofthe race, easy if I'm not reporting on the race.) So Tony played mini-god, rebuked the system and left!!

I admit, the number of yellow flags looks 'interesting' at best. But the last time I did not agree with my employer's (yes, Tony is an independent contractor, but his checks come from his NASCAR participation, so for this example, I use the term employer) perspective, or have a bad day, I can't just leave. Of course, the moment NASCAR bends to the idea of not having a debris caution, and someone gets hurt, then what? It's a fine line they play, and they're playing it very interestingly.

As Tony said on his show, if it's a competition yellow, then they should call it that and be done with it. That way, the teams can set their cars up for the appropriate type runs. That being, sometimes a car can get better on longer runs, but isn't worth a cr*p on short runs, or just after a green flag restart, OR the setups lend themselves to outlast the competitors and get better on the longer runs.

Here's the thing: If Tony wants to affect change, he needs to set the example. He should have stayed, bit his lip for the moment, and done his 'job' that he ends up getting paid millions for.

(Come to think of it though, NASCAR drivers get no sick days. They are always there on Race day, isn't that amazing?)

USA Today