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Expletive Could Get Stewart Penalized

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 30, 2007

KANSAS CITY, Kan. - Tony

Stewart's irritability with the media is legendary. This time, it also could prove costly.
NASCAR officials were reviewing an incident Saturday in which Stewart used an obscenity during the ESPN2 telecast of Nextel Cup practice at Kansas Speedway.

According to witnesses, Stewart was walking toward two ESPN camera operators after exiting his car when he looked at one and said, 'What? Get the expletive away from me.'

Jennifer Powell, NASCAR's senior manager of broadcast communications, said a videotape of the incident was being reviewed and that if there's a penalty, it probably wouldn't come until after a meeting at which such issues are normally discussed.

Stewart's curse word is barely audible on the videotape, according to two NASCAR officials who watched it.

Stewart, who didn't comment about the matter, was docked 25 points in July for using an expletive on television after winning the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. Dedicating the win to his followers, Stewart said, 'This one's for every one of the fans in the stands who pulls for me every week and takes all the expletive from everybody else.'

With seven races remaining, Stewart is only two points out of first place in the Nextel Cup standings.

STRONG SHOWING: One day after scoring his first pole in the USAC Silver Crown Series, Zephyrhills' Wayne Reutimann Jr. finished second to Nextel Cup regular J.J. Yeley in Saturday's Kansasspeedway.com 100.

Wayne Reutimann Sr., driving his son's backup car and making his first start in the series, finished ninth.

Yeley, driving a dominant car, blew to the lead on the first lap and led all 67 laps.

'He had quite the run off the back straightaway,' Reutimann Jr. said of Yeley's first-lap pass for the lead. 'I had it on the mat - I mean, she was as flat out as she would go, with her tongue hanging out - and he just drove right by. There wasn't anything I could do.'
Reutimann did climb from third to second in the standings.

BUSCH ZINGER: Kurt Busch didn't miss a chance to take a shot at his old team.

Asked if he has noticed any reason why the Roush-Fenway Racing Fords have been much better in recent months, he cracked, 'I probably shouldn't say this, but maybe because they're low in the right rear corner.'

The reference was to Carl Edwards' No. 99 Ford failing the post-race inspection for being too low in the right rear corner after winning last week at Dover.

NO DEAL YET: David Reutimann still hadn't signed a new contract offer from Michael Waltrip Racing as of Saturday afternoon.

Unknown is where Reutimann's sponsorship will come from if he returns in the No. 00 Toyota, because this year's deals with Domino's Pizza and Burger King are one-year agreements.

Brock Williamson, public relations manager for the Domino's account, said Saturday the pizza company wants to remain in racing in some capacity and 'loves' Reutimann.

Tony Fabrizio

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