Tony Stewart made the news twice on Thursday.
First, he announced a return to NASCAR this weekend at Richmond International Raceway after missing just eight races — a quicker-than-expected return from a surgically repaired broken back that’s expected to give a boost to a sport which has recently experienced difficulties in terms of attendance and television audience. .
Second, NASCAR quickly fined Stewart $35,000 for comments he made Wednesday when the driver/team owner expressed deep concerns over a safety-related topic. NASCAR said Stewart violated a rule that says drivers can be penalized for “disparaging the sport and/or leadership of NASCAR.”
The result? Once again, NASCAR has found a way to shoot itself in the foot when it comes to generating any sort of positive, sustained publicity.
Tony Stewart returns to racing at Richmond International Raceway
Stewart’s ridiculous and absurd fine will now overshadow his comeback – news that had already turned his comments about the lack of a lug nut rule into an afterthought. The topic of conversation this weekend would be solely about Stewart’s return and attempt to make the Sprint Cup playoffs in his final season; now it will be up to NASCAR officials to prove how fine and sensitive they can be.
The comments will be rehashed for those who missed them the first time and their validity will be debated for much longer. NASCAR essentially gave CPR to the news cycle over Stewart’s remarks (which raised valid concerns, by the way) instead of just turning the other cheek.
So what did he say that deserved a penalty? During an appearance for sponsor Mobil 1 on Wednesday, Stewart denounced NASCAR’s abandonment of a rule that required a wheel to have all five lug nuts. Without enforcement, teams only tighten three or four lug nuts to generate faster pit stops, which Stewart said could lead to disaster if a wheel flies off the car.
“You see the problem is getting worse,” he said. “Well, if you see a problem escalating like that, where is the bottom of that trend going to be? It’s going to happen when someone gets hurt, and it’s going to be one of the biggest black eyes I can see NASCAR having when they’ve worked so hard and done such a good job of ensuring safety. In this particular area they are totally dropping the ball and I feel like I made a really bad decision. “
Tony Stewart slams NASCAR for lug nut rule, says drivers at risk
Stewart’s comments were actually much more muted than those of some drivers who have spoken out against the lack of SAFER barriers on NASCAR’s walls in recent years. None of those drivers were fined as a result of their comments, and the lanes added more barriers, in part because of public pressure.
Additionally, Dale Earnhardt Jr. said last weekend that NASCAR’s lack of enforcement of lug nuts freaks him out and added that he was “blown away that NASCAR stopped enforcing that aspect.” I couldn’t believe that was the choice they made.
Earnhardt wasn’t well, of course. The difference between the comments is that Stewart hurt the officials and offended them.
Seriously? This appears to be the case.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Fewer lug nuts freak me out
In a meeting with The Associated Press Sports Editors Thursday, NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France said no one has been a greater leader on safety than NASCAR.
“We are offended by the fact that everything we do leads in one way or another to an unsafe environment, so (Stewart is) wrong on that,” France said.
Fans often cite the buttoned-up, business-talking personalities of today’s drivers as a reason they miss the good old days with characters like Rusty Wallace and Dale Earnhardt. But can we blame today’s drivers if they don’t want to say what they think?
Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin are among those who have strong opinions but don’t really feel able to express themselves. If they do, they will be fined. And NASCAR likes it because it deters drivers from criticizing officials.
But as NASCAR spends millions trying to market its cars’ personalities and attract a new primary sponsor to the series, short-sighted sanctions like the one handed out to Stewart seem ridiculous.
NASCAR should take Stewart’s comments seriously and work on a solution to a growing problem. Instead, the authorities prefer to shoot the messenger.
Follow Gluck on Twitter @jeff_gluck
