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View Full Version : Stewart takes blame for Texas wreck:



wolfcub
April 20th, 2010, 1:35 PM
#14-Tony Stewart led five times for 74 laps in Monday's rain-postponed Samsung Mobile 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway, but Stewart's 400th career Sprint Cup start ended badly when he was involved in a late-race multi-car accident that left him with his first DNF (Did Not Finish) of 2010. Stewart, who started from the pole and led the race's first 15 laps, was in sixth place on lap 312 of the 334-lap race when a caution came out for David Reutimann's blown engine. When the lead lap cars pitted one lap later, Stewart and crew chief Darian Grubb elected to take only two tires along with the teams of Jeff Burton, Denny Hamlin, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Greg Biffle and Kyle Busch. Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth elected to take four tires, which put them behind the six drivers who opted only for right-side tires. The race restarted on lap 317 with Burton leading, Stewart in second and Hamlin in third. Stewart fell back slightly and as he entered turn four, he and four-time Sprint Cup champion Jeff Gordon, who had restarted eighth, made contact and set off a wild, nine-car accident on the frontstretch. In addition to Stewart and Gordon, the wreck collected Joey Logano, Jamie McMurray, Clint Bowyer, Juan Pablo Montoya, A.J. Allmendinger, Paul Menard and Carl Edwards. The #14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevy suffered heavy damage all the way around and was unable to continue, forcing Stewart to take his only finish outside the top-30 this season. The two-time Sprint Cup champion was checked and released from the Texas Motor Speedway infield medical center without injury. "I came off of (turn) four there and bounced off of Jeff's (Gordon) right rear," Stewart said. "It was just a pendulum and I lost it and got into his right rear, and then I got us to where neither one of us could get away from it. Somebody put me three-wide in (turns) one and two and that got me up to where I got a lot of junk on my tires and that started it. It was my fault. I feel bad about it, about doing something stupid like that. I didn't plan on getting loose, but it is 100 percent my fault." Following the accident, Stewart and Gordon spoke to each other after exiting their damaged racecars. "I think he (Gordon) was worried that I was going to be upset about it on his side," Stewart said. "It wasn't his fault, obviously. I got a chance to see it in the infield care center, it is definitely my fault. I apologize to all the teams and drivers that got caught up and their fans for it. We had a really good car there and just a shame that it happened."(SHR)(4-20-2010)

Rick
April 20th, 2010, 2:27 PM
It really looked like it was Gordon who hit Stewart that started the "pendulum'. But I know, Gordon can't EVER be blamed for anything.

I don't think it was anything other than a racing incident. Inches separate them at 200 MPH, it's going to happen.

It's kind of sad because it seems like Stewart has sold out to Hendricks.

njdevil
April 20th, 2010, 3:26 PM
It looked that way to me also Rick. Yeah it's sad to say but Tony can't say what he really wants to say or he will have to find motors and chassis to buy from someone else. Hendrick and the whole organization is filled with a'holes!

TheOldProgrammer
April 20th, 2010, 3:57 PM
Gordon got a taste of his own medicine yesterday and he didn't like it...

http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/blog/from_the_marbles/post/Gordon-rages-at-Johnson-Stewart-as-promising-da;_ylt=AiTf6AArp0Bp8s1hAXUOEtbov7YF?urn=nascar,23 5201

It looks more as though Edwards got into Stewart which caused him to (really) get into Gordon...but not until after Gordon had 'tapped' Stewart. But Gordon was in the 'sucker slot' where he had no business being therefore he got what he deserved.
:smoke

gnatsum
April 21st, 2010, 12:44 PM
Stood behind a woman in a Dupont/Gordon jacket in a concession line during the red flag. Woman was talking to her husband (coworker? brother? male companion?) about Gordon's radio rants right after the wreck.
Apparently, Jeffy was screaming that he was going to get "that c********r" for crashing him.
She didn't elaborate on whether Gordon had identified him specifically, but she thought it was interesting to hear Jeff dropping swears!
They were FOUR wide coming out of Turn 4 just before the wreck!

TheOldProgrammer
April 22nd, 2010, 7:30 AM
Was probably referring to Tony... Jeff Gordon is of the mentality that everybody is suppose to get out of the way when he's coming through... He thinks that he can do no wrong... If he'd pull his head out of his a$$, he'd see that he actually started the whole thing...and that Edwards finished the job! :smoke