Tony Stewart, three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, had some strong words to say about today’s drivers and the bickering he can’t stand in the age of social media.
Recent clashes on the tracks have created some fledgling feuds between the drivers, to the point where veteran Kyle Busch said there’s a lack of respect between drivers these days.
Stewart was candid about his thoughts on the matter.
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Tony Stewart looks on during practice during the Camping World Superstar Racing Experience at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway on July 9, 2022, in Nashville, Tennessee. (Dylan Buell/SRX/Getty Images)
«It’s sad in our sport how vain and weak all these drivers are,» Stewart said on Kenny Wallace’s YouTube channel, «The Kenny Conversation.» «They literally won’t face each other on the track. They’ll just sit there and wait until they get home and beat each other up on Twitter, where nobody has to face anybody.»
Of course, arguments have gotten physical on tracks in the past, as drivers walked right up to each other after a crash to air their grievances.
However, Stewart said there was a proper way to do it.
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«We grew up in a different era. I remember drivers coming up to the living room, and it wasn’t always bad… but if you did something wrong… they would literally walk into your trailer and talk to you in your own living room… Talk in each other’s RVs after practice was over, after the race was over.
«You handled it and you did it face to face. You did it face to face. You did it like men.»
SRX driver Tony Stewart is shown during the Superstar Racing Experience portrait session at Clutch Studios on April 25, 2023, in Huntersville, North Carolina. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Stewart added that drivers like Dale Earnhardt Sr., Jeff Gordon and others showed him the ropes during their full-time driving days, and he did the same. That line of respect and proper etiquette was lost as the sport caught up with the rest of the world.
«They turned you around and pushed you back against the fence, and when you’re sitting there, sliding down the track or stopped… you have that time to say, ‘I think I made a mistake,’ and you had to figure it out, but like this it’s how you learn,» Stewart said.
Stewart is currently an analyst for Fox Sports NASCAR and also operates race tracks.
NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart looks on from the grid before the NASCAR Xfinity Series Contender Boats 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on October 22, 2022, in Homestead, Florida. (Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
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He also owns Stewart-Haas Racing with Gene Haas as a co-owner of the group. Drivers like Kevin Harvick and Chase Briscoe run under the team.