Teammates Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman discuss how their cars were handling after practice for the Kobalt Tools 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. (Photo: Getty Images)
AVONDALE, Ariz.-- Yes, Tony Stewart conceded, it’s tough to be in the Chase but, well, out of it.
“All everybody wants to do is talk about the guys (who) are in it, and all we want to do is worry about the stuff we’re doing … and trying to make our cars better,” he said. “You want to be in the middle of it, and you want to be those guys that are there, but, at the same time, when it doesn’t work out, you have to sit there trying to figure out things at the end of the year and figure out why you didn’t get yourself in that position (contention).”
Stewart also said, by the way, that Juan Pablo Montoya is the most talented driver against whom he has ever raced.
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GORDON RELIED ON 'HAVE AT IT'’--Jeff Gordon was angry when he confronted Jeff Burton and provoked a physical exchange a week ago at Texas Motor Speedway. But he had enough presence of mind to realize the fight wouldn’t cost him any Sprint Cup points.
Asked if the same incident would have occurred a year earlier, before NASCAR’s so-called “have at it” advice, Gordon said, “I would have reacted the same way but I would have expected a fine. That’s the only difference. When you know you’re going to get fined – and, to be honest, I held back, I wanted to do a lot worse that that – and, at that moment when you’re upset, you really don’t care what happens on Monday or Tuesday.
“I had a long enough walk (between his car and Burton’s) to think, OK, there are consequences here that I need to consider, and what can I get away with and still show him how upset I am? That’s why I reacted the way I did. I didn’t think it would get points taken away from me, and it didn’t. But I thought there could be a monetary fine, and there wasn’t.”
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IN THE BAG--Todd Bodine wrapped up his second Camping World Truck Series championship with a 12th-place finish in the series’ penultimate race at PIR Friday night. Clint Bowyer won the Lucas Oil 150.
Bowyer, by the way, has won back-to-back, though over four years. He hadn’t competed in the series since a November 2006 victory in Texas.
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SECOND TRY--Caitlin Shaw, a junior at Belmont Abbey, started 33rd and placed 30th in the Truck Series race. It was the second start for the 21-year-old native of Albuquerque, N.M. She was involved in a crash after completing 84 of the 150 laps.
Since January, Shaw has been working at Michael Waltrip Racing as an intern.
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