Stewart hits Dale Jr., spins out at Richmond

Stewart and Earnhardt Jr. were battling for 13th when the No. 88 driver was caught between Justin Allgaier on the high side and the No. 14 car below him. Stewart got into Earnhardt Jr.’s left rear and went around in Turn 1.

At the moment of impact, Stewart said, “Dale Jr. dammit!” while Earnhardt Jr. was initially angry with Allgaier, saying “upset with 51.”

Stewart wasn’t able to drive away from the accident and finished 41st, his fifth finish of 30th or worse in nine races this season and his worst result since a 42nd-place finish in the season-opening Daytona 500.

Earnhardt Jr., who finished 14th for his third finish outside the top 10 in the last four races after four top-six finishes in the season’s first five races, didn’t have an answer for Stewart’s actions.

“You’ll have to ask him,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “He hit me in the left rear quarter panel. I was trying to clear the No. 51 on the outside of me, so I was as high as I could go. So, you’ll just have to ask him.”

But after being examined and released from the infield care center, Stewart declined comment, went to the garage and threw his helmet and HANS (head-and-neck restraint system) into his hauler.

The owner wasn’t able to enjoy his Stewart-Haas Racing driver and teammate Kurt Busch‘s win as two of the four SHR teams have all but guaranteed a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Stewart hasn’t made NASCAR’s playoff since 2012.

Both Earnhardt Jr. and Stewart lost two spots in the series standings with the Hendrick Motorsports driving falling to eighth while Stewart is in 30th, the last spot in the standings that a race winner can be to make the Chase.

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