Though the calendar has changed, it’s not too late to look back at last season. SB Nation is counting down its top 15 most-viewed NASCAR stories of 2010 during the first two weeks of January.
No. 8: Boris Said Crew Chief Calls Tony Stewart ‘Disrespectful Jerk’ After Sonoma
If you’ve never been in the Sprint Cup garage after a race, trust me on this: It’s crazy.
The cars are driven back to the haulers by racers who are still filled with adrenaline from the just-completed race, and they park next to one another amidst the organized chaos of crewmen who are anxious to pack up their vehicles and equipment and get to the airport.
There are people everywhere, moving in all different directions and with many different agendas. So it’s sometimes tough to spot any post-race incidents if they happen.
But at Sonoma last summer, this one wasn’t hard to pick out. Frank Stoddard, the crew chief for Boris Said, stopped by Stewart’s parked car to scream at him, loudly calling him a “fat fuck.”
I had no idea what happened on the track or why Stoddard was so upset (TV never showed an incident between the drivers, and it’s tough to see much on a road course), but he obviously didn’t mind sharing his thoughts about his frustration.
So I walked down to Said’s hauler and asked Stoddard what the deal was.
Stoddard teed off on Stewart in a big way, calling him a “disrespectful jerk” and claiming Stewart ran into Said’s side after the race, causing significant damage. I sought out Stewart crew chief Darian Grubb for a response (Stewart himself was long gone by that time), and Grubb basically acknowledged what happened, so I wrote a story about the incident.
Since this information wasn’t widely published (I can’t recall where else the incident was reported), it drew a lot of interest and ultimately ranked as the No. 8 story on SB Nation’s most-clicked NASCAR blogs of last year. You can click the red link to read it.
Our Most Popular NASCAR Stories of 2010:
15. Instant reaction to Hendrick Motorsports crew chief swap
14. Why Dale Earnhardt Jr. won’t tweet
13. Dale Earnhardt Jr. finishes 16th at Las Vegas
12. Drivers flattered by portrayal in South Park episode
11. List of drivers’ song choices for the Bristol night race
10. ‘12 Out Of 12’ interview with Dale Earnhardt Jr.
9. Video of Shane Hmiel’s USAC wreck
8. Boris Said crew chief screams at Tony Stewart after Sonoma race
(Nos. 7-1 to be revealed soon)
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