Dustup between Joey Logano and Tony Stewart set on simmer
2013-04-05T23:40:24 Friday, April 5, 2013
Updated 11:40PM
By Hank Kurz, Jr.
The Associated Press
MARTINSVILLE, Va. Tony Stewart and Joey Logano say their dustup is over. They just havent said it to each other.
The drivers tangled two weeks ago at the end of the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at California, where Stewart thought Logano had blocked him in the closing laps. Stewart parked his car near Loganos and approached him. There was some shoving, but crew members broke it up before any punches were landed.
Stewart said Friday he spent the week off after the race at Fontana on vacation in Georgia, (Wonder if he was in secret training with Johnny Mallonee & Tommie Clinard?!) away from cellphone service and television, and Logano said while he never made any effort to contact the three-time champion, he thinks the break provided everyone with time to relax a little bit and cool off.
That doesnt mean, of course, that their feud cant fire up again. And if theres a track where close racing can lead to torn-up cars and injured feelings in a hurry, its tiny Martinsville Speedway with its tricky, 0.526-mile oval.
Stewart, concerned after practice that his three cars were not performing as well as he would like, said he wasnt sure if the message he tried to teach Logano after the last race had even registered.
We wont know that until we see how he reacts in the same situation the next time, he said.
Logano, though, isnt sure he would do anything differently, especially while going for a victory.
We were racing really hard and we go in the corner and I shoved up into him, he said. I guess you can take some blame for that, but its just hard racing. Were going out there to win this thing and thats what were trying to do.
Stewart and Jeff Burton agreed that Logano is likely feeling pressure after moving from Joe Gibbs Racing to Roger Penske Racing this season. Burton said Logano would do well to do more listening.
When confronted with an issue from something on the track, Burton said, I dont think he handles it very well. He doesnt just step back and say, You know what, OK, let me listen to what youre saying. I may disagree with you but let me listen. He tends to resist, as if, Im right, Im right, Im right.
I know I had an issue with him a few years ago and I encouraged him to go look at the tape. I had already looked at it, so I knew what it showed. I didnt tell him that. The next week I asked him if he had looked at it and he said, No, I dont need to. That kind of attitude is not welcomed, Burton said.
NASCAR declined to penalize Stewart for going in search of Logano.
In other forms of racing, they just go down and slug it out and then they normally end up eating dinner with each other at a fast food joint, Stewart said. You know, a sit down deal later in the evening. That is the way racing is across the country and it gets settled but the problem here is that NASCAR has to keep some law and order.
For Logano, the immediacy with which drivers are asked to react make things dicey, too, and he said his comments after the race, as well as Stewarts, reflected the tension and heat of the moment.
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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"
updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:04:08PM
