Racin' In the Pits and Rubbin' It In

Was Tony Stewart's contact with two cars on pit road caused by lack of observation, communication or consideration? Or all of the above?

Stewart's crew chief Greg Zipadelli:

"The No. 15 car was a minor thing. I think everybody got to hollering on the radio and we never even saw the No. 9 car. That is what did the damage. The No. 15 just scraped the paint off. It didn't really do anything else. But with us rolling out, it would have been real easy for him to give us the go ahead, not that he has to, but it is about give-and-take. If you have respect for people and they are racing for something you are not, you kind of usually do that. If you don't, the roles will usually be reversed."

Fair enough. Zippy thinks Paul Menard should have given consideration to Stewart and he takes responsibility for the chaotic communication that caused the contact with Kasey Kahne.

One can argue that the non-Chaser should have yielded to the Chaser. Another can argue that the stopped cars on pit road should yield to the already-moving incoming cars. We can all agree that it's every man for himself or argue that it should be a give and take. No one is wrong, no one is right--at least not per NASCAR's rules.

But it's hard to argue that bad sportsmanship is not in poor taste:

"The blame is I don't think either one of them has any respect for each other. The kid in the No. 15, I don't know, but I do know his crew was clapping when we were working on our car. That is kind of uncalled for and unprofessional. But, I am believer in what goes around, comes around. Someday he will be good enough to be in that situation, maybe, if he is lucky, and that will probably happen to him, or he will lose something because he didn't have respect or give or take with other people, that is just how it works. We can't control what others do and how they act, all we can do is control how we respond to situations."

I've managed to be a DEI fan for eight years and have never found an affinity for Menard--or the foreign objects that grow on his face. This little observation from Zippy about his teammates sure doesn't help.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)

10-15-2007 @ 9:01AM

joplmb said...

Hopefully Zippy (Tonys crewchief) will not pick a stall by Menards. Isn't Menards dad his spotter? Tony raced for Menard when he was in the IRL and there were some bad blood when Tony decided to go to Nascar. It resulted in a lawsuit. Wonder if the bad blood stems from this or is it just 2 alpha males running amuck!!

10-15-2007 @ 9:03AM

Maveness said...

I think that was bad sportsmanship by Menard's team, but then again, I remember a few races back when Tony didn't like some of the pit road action between him and Menard and decided to repeatedly bang on Menard's car with his own. If you want to dish it, then be able to take the smack talk in return, no matter whether the other guy is on your level or not.

10-15-2007 @ 9:29AM

joy duffy said...

All of the booth comments are totally irrelevant if they do not 'can' that open mike on the track. No one can really hear them. I am fast becoming a non fan.

10-15-2007 @ 11:16AM

Mike said...

Thank you TGOM. "31 ... guys that aren't in this (Chase) can dictate it." This is the quote I was refering too when I complained about Tony Stewart once again blaming others for his wreckless driving. It is clear to me that the two wrecks were caused by a failure on the job of Tony Stewarts crew chief to not see that the 15 was coming in and cannot just stop instantly but had he held Tony for 1 second that bump and the next one would not have happened. Gee Tony, I am sorry there are 43 cars on the track and yours is the only one that counts. I guess the money that each of these other guys is making and the money their sponsors paid is just not as important as yours. You have no reason to bitch about the chase format. Were it not for the chase format you would now be 500 points behind the best driver in Nascar heading for his 5th title and not only 200 points behind with a MATHEMATICAL chance to win.

10-15-2007 @ 8:24PM

Kim said...

Mike!

You know I agree with you 100%. Tony was completely out of line on pit road. He hit two cars and wasn't penalized. It was ridiculous! Menard & Kahne were innocent victims of Tony's impatience and I felt horrible for them. Tony should have AT LEAST been sent through a pit road run during green flag racing. Others have had to do that with lesser infractions. He didn't even apologize to them afterwards! But I guess if you are Tony Stewart, you can get away with anything! What an ass!

Kim

P.S. My seven, nine, and ten year old children take responsibility for their bad actions more often than this 38 year old cry baby of a Nascar driver does. It's disgraceful! Once again, WHAT AN ASS!

10-15-2007 @ 1:22PM

Brad said...

TONY, TONY, TONY,

Between him and his crew they sound like the flippin brady bunch. I have been a TONY fan for some time but he is in the WRONG in this situation. Menard and Kahne had no way of knowing Marsha ( I mean Tony ) was making a fuel only stop for some track position. If Tony is having such a bad time with Menard which both times have not been Menards fault, then Tony should step away from the KRISPY KREME LINE and drag HIS FAT ASS out of his car and take care of the problem. As far as Menards crew clapping Hell I hope they were LAUGHING too, and as far as what goes around comes around.........well it looks like it's coming around for MARSHA uh I mean TONY!!!!!

Aloha, Brad

10-15-2007 @ 1:52PM

Tanner said...

I might be biased (OK I am) because Tony is my favorite driver. But I can understand Tony yelling when 10 million is on the line. I would be yelling too. It was said in the heat of the moment. Menards crew clapping is tacky and antagonistic. I hope that Nascar doesn't allow that to happen in the future. Fist fights are ok but clapping at someone else's team's and drivers problem is just being a wussy. Of course, Paul Menard can laugh at $ 10 million.

10-15-2007 @ 3:35PM

b said...

the team can clapp and laugh all they want, and even the rude people here can say what they want about Tony (making comments about his weight are sooo out of line, and so benenth you, makes you look like trash) but the fact is he finished 7th, and Kasey (who had more damage then Paul) finished 8th. And Paul? 22nd, they can clap and laugh all they want, but he is not that great of a driver, and he had the least damage of all three cars. That right there says alot.

10-15-2007 @ 4:26PM

OOOHHHHHH OUCH, THAT'S GOING TO LEAVE A MARK!!!!!!

The "FACT" is b the article was about what happened in the pits not who finished where. Like I said I am a TS fan but I'm getting a little tired of his "IT'S EVERYBODY ELSE'S FAULT" attitude. Maybe if he started running on a treadmill instead of running his mouth the comments made here would be more to your liking.

OPINIONS ARE LIKE ASSHOLES EVERYONE HAS ONE.....INCLUDING ME.

Aloha, Brad

P.S. Remember Paul is a rookie and finished 22nd 1 lap down,,,,, Tony's first Oct. Lowe's race he finished 19th 1 lap down, wow what a cowinkidink!!!!

You Go, Brad!

I couldn't have said it better myself!

Kim

10-15-2007 @ 10:55PM

yobomba said...

Tony is so not going to admit when he was wrong! I am so tired of his blaming everyone else for his mishaps....it is never his fault....what a tit bag! He needs to suck it up and take some blame and if he won't do that atleast keep his mouth. The pit incident was Zippy's fault plain and simple.

jim bondurant said...

Can you believe that someone on Tony's crew would use the term GIVE AND TAKE or try to blame someone else for the problem in the pits? Nascar should fine someone or make up some off the wall ruling to help poor Tony.

10-16-2007 @ 12:02AM

annaseitter said...

HERE WE GO AGAIN, THE SAME NAMES, THE SAME POSTERS,THE SAME JUNIOR BASHERS, GIVING DEJR A BRAKE,
this week, but they resume their spewing on TONY STEWART.Not all of them,but most af them once again are the JEFF GORDON FANS.Surprisingly a couple of the SPEWERS ARE MISSING. WHERE IS YOUR ANTISTEWART HATE POST MISSES BLACKYLOOKS 24?. WHERE IS YOUR YOUR HATE POST YOU OTHER DRIVEBY SPEWER DANA? WHERE ARE
THE REST? A battle that never ends,but than do not touch their god jeff gordon! Do not touch SAINT JIMMY JOHNSON!Do not touch the pony tail biker!.DO NOT TOUCH THEIR IDOLS!.Umbelievable,IS BASHING YOUR TOP AGENDA ON THESE PAGES?Why can you all keep on dishing it out, but god forbid, when you have to dish it in?Every little problem that TONY IS IN, TO YOU ALL IS DEFINETELY HIS FOUGHT and that gives you the excuse to keep up the slamming. SAME YA ALL DO WITH DEJR.YESTERDAY, under another file,after the race i read a poster saying:TONY STEWART WRECKED 3 CARS ON PIT ROW and nascar did not do anything about.
TODAY, I read over and over TONY DID NOT GET PUNISHED,TONY did not even get a drive through the pit lane, TONY IS AN ASS AGAIN,TONY DOES WHAT HE WANTS and the same garbage over and over.
HAVEN'T YA ALL PAY ANY REAL ATTENTION TO WHAT REALLY WENT ON? HAVEN'T YA ALL SEEN THE FACTS OR ARE YOU ALL HAVING A MIRAGE?
Of course you don't,because ya all do not want to see it.Everything is a good motive to spew on stewart. WHERE OR WHEN DID STEWART WRECK ANYONE ON PIT RAW AT LOWES SPEEDWAY? WHERE OR WHEN DID HE EVEN DAMAGE 2 or 3 CARS? THE ONLY DAMAGED CAR I SEEN WAS THE #20.I never seen KKKANE CAR OR PAUL MENARD OR EVEN THE 43 LABONTE, STUCK ON PIT ROW OR IN THE GARAGE FOR REPAIRS.I never even seen any dents on their car.WHY IS THAT MANY OF YOU PERMANENT ANTISTEWART CAMPAIGNER always have allucinations? IS IT POT OR LSD OR COKE YOUR PLEASURE?.READ THE TGIF FILE ON TOP OF THIS PAGE AGAIN AND ACCEPT WHAT GREG ZINFANDEL HAD TO SAY, instead of making up your own fiction novel. IF YA ALL HAVE REALLY TO BLAIM ANYONE,
(BLAME IS A COMMON CUSTOM)around this quarters,than
BLAME THE REAL RESPONSIBLE FOR TONY HITTING KANE MOBILE.AND THE REAL RESPONSIBLE IS CREW CHIEF ZINFANDEL no tony .The crew chief usually gives the GO,GO,GO to the driver.NO THE DRIVER HIMSELF.GIVE UP FOR GOD SAKE.GET REAL. YA ALL SPEW LIBERALISM AND CONSERVATIVISM IN THE OTHER TGIF IMMUNIZATION FILE,but than when it comes to some nascar driver,you are all REALITY TWISTER AND FICTION WRITER
LIKE THE LIBERALS IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
AND YES, THERE ARE DEMOCRATS ....AND THAN THERE ARE
SOCIALIST DEMOCRATS LIBERALS. THAT DOES NOT MAKE THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IN THE LAST 10 YEARS LOOK ANY BETTER. SAME BOAT, SAME CRAP, SAME SHIET NOWADAYS.

CARL MARX AND FREDERICK ENGELS USED TO PRITCH AND WRITE IN THEIR UTOPIST DEROGATORY REALITY TWISTED
AND FULL OF FICTION MANIFESTO :
--- FEED THE PEOPLE THE TRUTH AND THEY WILL NEVER BELIEVE IT.FEED THE PEOPLE LIES AND EVERYBODY WILL BELIEVE IT RIGHT AWAY. Is that what the bashers of tony stewart and dale earnhardt jr are doing???
PS
Where is blogger DAVES RAPES/RAPEST? Let me enquire
if it's ok to make the marx/engels/nascar fan correlation.Where are you DAVE RAPE?.

wanagi said...

there should be a bigger penalty for pitting while pits are closed to repiar damage than tail end of long line. so pits arent really closed when they say they are? what woulda happened if he had to wait to pit? kinda looks like cheatin to me.

10-15-2007 @ 11:45PM

What in the heck was poster #13 talking about?

10-16-2007 @ 2:04AM

ljanney said...

bondurant lighten up You sound like you have been into the pharmacy yourself. Zippy said it was his fault. The problem is that there are 43 cars in the race, not 12. Those are the rules. When the driver signs on the dotted line to enter the race , he knows that. If you don't like the rules, go back to Indy cars and race with Danica. There are a lot of NASCAR's rules that I disagree with. The Chase format is what it is, right or wrong. Is it fair for the driver in 13th going into the Chase to be shut out. Think about it, remember the streak that Tony had at the end of the season? The man in 12th could finish 43rd in all 10 races and the 13th guy win 10 and they finish the season where they started the Chase. FAIR? Tony needs to man up, along with Hamlin. 43 cars every race, no gimmees.

annaseitter you sound like you have been into the pharmacy yourself. Tell Tony and Denny that there are 43 cars in every race. No car gets favors. No cars get freebies. Zippy said it was his fault. Get over it. Tony brings all of this on himself. Why do you or anyone else feel that the chase cars have right of way? The rules are clear when you sign your name to enter the race, and covered again in the drivers' meeting. 43 cars all RACING for their own chance to win. NOT just 12 with special passes. If he wants to race against 11 other cars, he should go back to Indy and cry with Danica.

10-16-2007 @ 2:55AM

Don Emerson said...

No way Tony has a chance to win the chase. That's probably why he throwing his weight around and throwing yet another unending temper tantrums. If he has a bad car, or can't win a race, look for him to take it out on another driver everytime. Along with his Toyota next year, I think they should include a years supply of pampers, and a bib to catch his whiney azz tears.

10-16-2007 @ 11:12AM

ANNA OOOOOOH AAANNNNNNNNAAAAAA

POT!!!!!LS-FRICKIN-D!!!!!COKE!!!!!!!
DEMOCRATS-THE ARISTOCATS-KARL MARX, don't forget GROUCHO,CHICO,HARPO AND ZEPPO, FREDRICK ENGELS AND THE CINCINATTTTEEEEE BENGALS, REPUBLICANS TONY IS A HOOLIGAN, SOCIALIST YOUR FULL OF S--T, UDOPEIA, OOOOOOOHHHHHHH I'M HAVING A FLASHBACK MELTDOWN, WHERE THE HELL IS JOHN WAYNE WHEN YA NEED HIM.

"HELL NO WE WON'T GO"
"HELL NO WE WON'T GO"
"HELL NO WE WON'T GO"

YOU GO GIRL DON'T LET ANYBODY PISS IN YOUR CHERRIOS

ALOHA, AND OYEGOVAAAAH BRAD

10-16-2007 @ 4:34AM

HEY BRAD, JUDGEING BY YOUR POST, I MUST ASK YOU:
WHAT DID YOU SNIFF TONIGHT?
WHAT ARE YOU DRINKING TONIGHT?
IT'S 3.30 AM AND YOU STILL FUMING.
HAVE FEW EXTRA CUPS OF EXPRESSO COFFEE AND YOU WILL BE SANE AND ALERT AGAIN. I ALWAYS TOUGHT STEWART WAS YOUR DRIVER TOO. CHANGED YOUR MIND? NEXT TIME, SHARE A CASE OF SCLITZ WITH TONY.IT WILL KEEP YOU MORE SOBER. HASTA LA VISTA.