Stewart spins, struggles to stay quiet with frustration

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- Confrontations and Tony Stewart are like an ice cream sandwich to a dieter. In either case, it's almost impossible to keep your mouth shut.

A week ago, a frustrated Stewart left Phoenix International Raceway without making a mandatory post-race trip to the media center, a move which lightened his wallet by $10,000 and placed him on probation for the rest of the year.

Lap-by-Lap

Tony Stewart spent much of the race as a contender, but it ended early with him standing on the backstretch.

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In the middle of his satellite radio show on Tuesday, he lashed out at NASCAR's debris cautions, saying, "I don't know that they've run a fair race all year." That earned him an early-morning meeting Friday with three of NASCAR's top officials, including president Mike Helton, who were none too pleased with Stewart's opinions.

Speaking to the media afterward, Stewart understood he deserved the tongue-lashing.

"I know I did a lot of damage," he said. "I'm a lot of times my own worst enemy."

"I should have went to them instead of just saying it out in public. That's frustration that's been building up for weeks with me with all these debris cautions."

It wasn't a debris caution that got Stewart's goat Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway. Stewart even tried his best initially to avoid blaming anyone following a crash that involved Jamie McMurray and David Gilliland during the green-white-checkered finish that left him 28th in the Aaron's 499.

Restarting seventh with two laps remaining, Stewart was racing with McMurray when his No. 20 Chevrolet was knocked into the wall. He bounced off the outside wall, was rammed by Gilliland's car and went spinning into the inside wall (watch video).

He stayed near his wrecked car and gestured at McMurray and Gilliland the next time they passed by.

"We just got crashed," Stewart said. "We had [McMurray] just inside of us and I think [Gilliland] just inside of him. I really want to see the replay before I say anything, though."

Then Stewart just couldn't contain himself any longer (watch video).

"We've already crashed here," Stewart said while watching a television replay. "And then [Gilliland] just plows us for no reason. I guess he's still mad for the Busch race [Saturday] but ... no talent there, I guess." (Continued)