Two of the NASCAR's most accomplished drivers seemed a bit moody last Sunday. Two-time NASCAR Nextel Cup champion Tony Stewart and four-time NASCAR Nextel Cup champion Jeff Gordon ruffled some feathers this past weekend at Las Vegas.
Tony Stewart has been increasingly disapproving of 20-year old Kyle Busch's driving style ever since the Bud Shootout last month. They tangled again a week later during the Daytona 500. They purportedly talked things out a couple of weeks ago at California, but another altercation transpired during the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 at Las Vegas. Stewart became rather impatient with Busch as he attempted to pass him with some 80 laps to go, but Busch was not eager to relinquish second position quite yet. Instead, Stewart intolerantly ran behind Busch as race leader Matt Kenseth pulled further and further away. After Stewart finally successfully passed Busch, he brusquely shook his fist at the Las Vegas native. After a restart with some 30 laps remaining, Stewart proceeded to take the air off the Busch's car, which nearly sent him spinning. Busch even called out to his crew that Stewart 'was trying to kill me'.
Stewart did articulate his point of view after the race. "What I'm upset about is that with 80 laps to go we're sitting there for 15-20 laps behind [Busch] trying to get by and he's holding us up for no reason," he stated. "With 80 laps to go he's holding us up and we all have another pit stop to make."
Stewart would eventually tag the outside wall and fade to a 21st place finish.
Stewart's palpable frustrations have been the center of conversation ever since his run-in with Matt Kenseth during the Daytona 500. What he needs to bear in mind is that a considerable part of his success last year was due to the fact that he was more tranquil and incidents such as this didn't seem to disturb him as much. So far in 2006, Stewart seems bitterly frustrated.
Jeff Gordon's frustrations were observable as well, as he would give Greg Biffle a little side bump as they were battling for eighth position. I'm still uncertain as to what led up to that incident, as Biffle can be antagonistic at times, but it appeared that Gordon was the instigator this time.
Biffle was clearly ticked with Gordon after the race as he candidly stated, "I know the 24 came down and kind of gave me a door slam down the backstretch, I'm not sure what that was about. I used to have quite a bit of respect for him. I'm not sure if I've got as much any more."
Gordon's frustrations are more likely due to the performance of his team. While Gordon has been decent throughout the first three races of 2006, he has been unable to measure up to the performances of his two Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch.
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