So when Stewart stepped before NASCAR media members on Friday at Talladega, he fired this shot across the bow of stock car racing’s mother ship: “I’ve been trying to figure out how many more $35,000 rule changes I want to make.”
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Wah-wah! He’s here all weekend, folks (if not in the car full time).
Stewart is a week-plus out from assailing NASCAR for its failure to police a safety problem and demand teams have all lug nuts tight on cars when they hit the track. That span saw NASCAR, in its best impression of the No-Fun League, fine Stewart said $35k for taking the name of NASCAR in vain. Forget Hail Marys; send cash.
Repent? Forget about it. Stewart knows he struck a nerve, because — halleluiah — stock car racing’s Star Chamber announced later it would make sure said nuts were ratcheted down properly. Oh, and Stewart would still have to pay the fine.
There was a lighter moment Friday when Stewart-Haas driver Danica Patrick presented Stewart with a pink tutu and wand, one of those little sponsor promotions things. For good measure, she stretched it to show it could handle her boss’ girth.
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Stewart might just put them to good use, considering the Halloween get-up he wore last year. Remember Carmen Miranda meets Shamu? Now come Tony’s fractured fairy tales.
Unfortunately, Tony, we think it is your size.
There was a serious side to Tony’s day.
“You hate to have to pay $35,000 to get someone’s attention, but apparently that’s what it took,” he said — and he wasn’t finished.
“I’ve got questions, too, that I’d like to have answers to. I’m still wondering why I’m paying a $35,000 fine for something that got changed three days later.”
Good question.
