NASCAR retaliation tactics have gone too far

After a chaotic derby in Martinsville, Sprint Cup contender Tony Stewart is advocating for changes to NASCAR’s ‘boys have at it’ policy, asserting that it’s time for drivers to engage in physical confrontations.

Stewart emerged victorious at Martinsville as mayhem unfolded behind him and contends that the current retaliation strategies have escalated beyond acceptable levels.

“NASCAR needs to hold these drivers accountable for their actions towards each other; they shouldn’t babysit or shield these guys,” Stewart remarked.

“They should be allowed to take a beating. That was the norm back in the day. There wasn’t this over-aggressive behavior like dumping and cheap shots.”

“In the time of Dale Sr. and Dale Jarrett, such behavior was unacceptable because that guy would come up, pull you out of your car after practice, and have a serious talk with you, making sure you understood why that kind of behavior was wrong.”

“I believe they should set up a makeshift boxing ring.”

“Once the victory celebrations are over, place the boxing ring on the front stretch for the fans’ entertainment.”

“To enhance attendance at Martinsville, consider hosting a boxing match featuring drivers who have unresolved issues with one another.”

“Currently, there’s nothing to engage in. You can shout at someone, like we witnessed with Greg Biffle and Kevin Harvick after Saturday’s practice. What was achieved there? Did either party gain insight into the other’s perspective? They yelled, parted ways, and nothing changed from before. The dynamic remains unchanged, and there’s no motivation for these guys to act differently. Every situation has two sides.”

While Stewart has been involved in his fair share of on-track retaliations, he acknowledges that his team owner has helped him grow in this regard.

“I once was just as guilty and reckless as anyone else when it came to taking cheap shots,” Stewart confessed. “However, I’ve learned that it’s not solely about the drivers; there’s a whole team back at the shop involved.”

“There’s a car owner investing significant funds and numerous crew members dedicating countless hours and their passion to ensure we deliver a quality product every week with these race cars. At times, we overlook that critical aspect.”

Regarding proper on-track etiquette, Stewart believes he exemplified it during the Martinsville race.

“I positioned myself under him at a moment where he was already descending,” Stewart detailed.

“I made a mistake, causing him to slide. I backed off and allowed him to reclaim his position. Today, it seems rare for anyone to relinquish a position back in situations like that, especially when it’s not the other driver’s fault.”

“Later, I got around Allmendinger and, instead of intentionally eliminating me as others had done, he recognized that I had returned his spot because I acknowledged my error.”

As the season approaches its final three races, Stewart currently holds second place in the Sprint Cup standings, trailing Carl Edwards.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Standings

by Buford Balony