Update on Tony
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Update on Tony - 4/27/2007 1:51:45 PM
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Mrrench
Posts: 820
Joined: 12/20/2006
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TALLADEGA, Ala. -- Two-time Nextel Cup champion Tony Stewart backed off recent comments questioning the validity of debris cautions after being chastened by NASCAR officials in a meeting early Friday morning at Talladega Superspeedway.
"I know I did a lot of damage," Stewart said. "I'm a lot of times my own worst enemy."
Frustrated by four debris cautions that hampered his chances of winning last weekend at Phoenix, Stewart ducked the media after finishing second to Jeff Gordon. He vented on his satellite radio show Tuesday, comparing NASCAR to professional wrestling and implying that results were staged.
"I guess NASCAR thinks, 'Hey, wrestling worked, and it was for the most part staged, so I guess it's going to work in racing, too,'" he said on his radio program Tuesday night. "I can't understand how long the fans are going to let NASCAR treat them like they're stupid before the fans finally turn on NASCAR."
The remarks infuriated image-conscious NASCAR officials, who called Stewart in to address the issue at 6 a.m. Friday, the hour the garage opened. "It's a little tender for me to sit down right now," Stewart quipped.
But it wasn't a joke to NASCAR, which was expected to announce penalties later Friday. Series officials watched from the back of the media center as a humbled Stewart made his comments, which contrasted starkly with his remarks Tuesday.
"To be honest, the group that I spoke with this morning is a group of peers that I trust. If they tell me the stuff is out there, I believe them," he said.
"I should have went to them instead of just saying it out in public. That's frustration that's been building up with all these debris cautions
AND JUST THING NASCAR SAID WEDNESDAY THAT THEY WERE NOT GOING TO BE ANY PENALTIES. SO MUCH FOR FREEDOM OF SPEECH......
HE ONLY SAID WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE BELIEVE TO BE TRUE.
SO I GUESS THE REST OF US THAT THINK WHAT HE SAID ON TUESDAY IS TRUE WE WILL GET SOME TYPE OF PLENTY TOO.....
_____________________________
Proud owner of a
2006 Monte Carlo LTZ
Laser Blue
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RE: Update on Tony - 4/27/2007 2:12:27 PM
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Mrrench
Posts: 820
Joined: 12/20/2006
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here is what is on speed tv
ony Stewart’s day began early at Talladega – 6 a.m. to be precise, which is when the two-time NASCAR Nextel Cup Champion was summoned for a high-level confab with NASCAR official over some comments made by Stewart earlier in the week on his SIRIUS radio show. NASCAR refused to let Stewart’s Joe Gibbs Racing team unload his No. 20 off the hauler Friday morning until Stewart met with officials from the sanctioning body.
And Stewart was properly contrite afterwards. “You can’t fix stupid a lot of times,” he said. “I’m getting better about not saying stupid things at the wrong times, but I’m not totally cured yet.”
NASCAR will announce what action it will take with regards to Stewart later Friday afternoon at Talladega Superspeedway, said NASCAR Vice President of Corporate Communications Jim Hunter.
Stewart appeared in the Talladega media center Friday morning, when he apologized for comments he made on his radio show. Five hours earlier, at 6 a.m., he met with a group of NASCAR officials who he declined to identify, but Stewart made it clear that the tone of the meeting was intense.
“The meeting this morning was a good meeting,” Stewart said of the NASCAR sit down. “It’s a little tender for me to sit down right now, but I’m semi-confident that by the time practice starts, the medication that I’ve got will numb it up enough that I can go out and do my job.”
Stewart’s radio comments on Tuesday were highly inflammatory, questioning NASCAR’s credibility and suggesting that debris cautions were being thrown not because of debris on track, but to bunch the fields. “To me it's not all about the money, it's about the integrity of the sport, and when I feel our own sanctioning body isn't taking care of that, it's hard to support them and feel proud about being a driver in the Nextel Cup Series when they're throwing debris cautions,” Stewart said. “It's like playing God. They can almost dictate the race instead of the drivers doing it. It's happened too many times this year. You get so frustrated ... But enough of it's gone on that fans are writing in and talking about it. At what point does NASCAR get the hint? I guess NASCAR thinks, ‘Hey wrestling worked, and it was for the most part staged, so I guess it's going to work in racing, too.’ … I can't understand how long the fans are going to let NASCAR treat them like they're stupid before the fans finally turn on NASCAR. I don't know that they've run a fair race all year.”
But after the NASCAR meeting Friday morning, Stewart had a different perspective. “They assured me that the debris cautions are for things that are out there,” he said. “They say that there are things that are out there and to be honest, the group that I spoke with this morning is a group of peers that I trust. If they tell me stuff is out there, I believe them.”
Stewart, who finished second at Phoenix International Raceway Saturday night, also skipped the mandatory post-race press conference, which NASCAR requires of the second- and third-place finishers at each race.
“We tried to learn from our mistakes before, and I’ve went to the media center and been furious before and said things I didn’t want to say,” Stewart said. “Tuesday night I was sick and still ended up saying things I didn’t want to say, or shouldn’t have said, and got in trouble for it. I should have went to them (NASCAR) instead of saying it in public.”
_____________________________
Proud owner of a
2006 Monte Carlo LTZ
Laser Blue
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RE: Update on Tony - 4/27/2007 2:34:56 PM
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SpaceRider
Posts: 7850
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I think Tony has freedom of Speech, he still wants, Freedom to keep making Money To me it's all a $ Money Game $ Mrrench, I think Tony back peddled to stay in the Game Play by their rules or find another Game. How much is a soul worth ? Michael, thanks 4 your update...It said a lot....  Click below 2 Make Tony more Big/Rich/Powerful Thumbnail Image  Look'in 4 recruits Thumbnail Image Click on me 2 Make me Bigger
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< Message edited by SpaceRider -- 4/27/2007 4:09:03 PM >
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