An angry Tony Stewart confronted Martin Truex Jr. on pit road following Sunday’s race at Auto Club Speedway.
Tony Stewart confronts Martin Truex Jr., posts season-best finish
Tony Stewart voiced his displeasure with Martin Truex Jr. following an incident between the two in Sunday’s race.
Stewart was upset because Truex cut across nose of the No.14 with 36 laps remaining, putting a hole in Stewart’s car that required repairs. At the time of the incident, Truex was racing Aric Almirola hard and Stewart felt he was unjustifiably being swept into someone else’s spat.
“There is a big hole underneath all of that,” Stewart said. “It just so happens that the right-rear of (Truex’s) car is all tore to hell. He had a problem with (Almirola) and when he got done drafting with him he drive across the racetrack into us. It’s just stupid.”
A USA Today reporter captured a snippet of the exchange.
Tony Stewart was upset Truex came across three lanes and made contact. Video: pic.twitter.com/un2hyxvlGz
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) March 22, 2015 Stewart said he wasn’t directly mad at Truex, just the situation itself. The Auto Club 400 was one of the few times this season he showed much competitiveness and the damage he felt cost him a potential top-10 finish.
“I don’t have a problem with it, I just didn’t want my car tore up,” Stewart said. ”(Truex) had a problem with somebody else and I’m the one who paid the price for it.
“I wasn’t delusional that we were going to win the race or anything, but if he has a problem with somebody else and he has his hand out the window changing three lanes. Then, drives back across and punches a hole in my nose. He is like, ‘Well you could have lifted.’ We are in the middle of the backstretch, why is it my responsibility to lift because he is arguing with somebody else? It’s just stupid. Same stuff we always deal with kids.”
Because of the damaged incurred, Stewart and crew chief Chad Johnston gambled on track position late instead of getting fresh tires. The call jumped Stewart to second on the first of what would be two green-white-checkered restarts -- albeit on much worn tires.
Once the race resumed Stewart quickly fell back to finish a season-best 14th. Entering ACS, his best result on the year was a 30th at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Truex placed eighth, his fifth consecutive top-10.
“I’m happy, we are gaining on it,” Stewart said. “We were getting to where we were sniffing the edge of the top 10 anyway all day. We are gaining on it a little chunk at a time. We didn’t need to get it all today, but this is a big gain for us.”
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