NASCAR: No bad blood for Stewart, Newman

Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart have been friends for nearly two decades, something that hasn't seemingly changed in the aftermath of a controversial incident between the two last weekend at Richmond International Raceway.

Both veterans were summoned to a meeting with NASCAR officials on Friday at Chicagoland Speedway and left the Sprint Cup hauler together, dismissing any notions of lingering animosity between them. Newman had called Stewart "bipolar" and referenced "anger issues" following a run-in together late in the Federated Auto Parts 400.

Newman's remarks aired on the NBCSN television broadcast and also included a reference to the 2014 sprint car incident in which Stewart's car struck and killed Kevin Ward Jr. at the Canandaigua Motorsports Park in upstate New York.

Related Stories

Newman said no apologies were given and none were necessary.

"We don't have to apologize to each other," Newman said. 

"You have to remember, we've been teammates and we've known each other since long before either one of us got an opportunity to come to NASCAR," Stewart added.

"I'll text you an apology later," Newman said, prompting a laugh from both veterans.

Stewart believes the media blew the interview out of context and expressed frustration when he was asked more questions about the current state of his friendship with Newman.

"You guys are drawing for straws," Stewart said in response. "Good grief. This is the frustrating part for both of us. We just get poked and prodded and both of us have already moved on and still get poked and prodded about it."

Newman said he did not regret what he said on Saturday but acknowledged that it made for a complicated week leading into the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 in Joliet.

"I'm frustrated by the situation and the actions that came about in respect to all of it, I think most importantly how it affected people who are associated with both of us," Newman said. "That's probably the roughest part. Nobody understands what we do in our business except us.

"You guys (the media) are there as soon as we walk out of the infield care center and no other sport is like that. It's challenging."

Stewart acknowledged both after the race and during the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Media Day on Thursday that the comments were made in the heat of the moment. The crash officially eliminated Newman from the 2016 playoffs and the veteran was frustrated at both Stewart and his season. He had very little time to cool down and didn't hold back when reporters approached him.

For his part, Stewart considers the matter closed.

"Both of us are ready to move on and we're still getting poked and prodded about it," Stewart said. "That's where it makes it even more frustrating across the board. It's like you're being laid on a table and dissected. Everybody is trying to pick your brain.

"We've had a week to think about it and get over it. As far as we're concerned, it's over. Now let us go race and worry about Chicago."