Tony Stewart faces down Ernie Frances Jr. at South Boston.
Defending Camping World Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) champion and series co-founder Tony Stewart blew his stack during Saturday’s second heat race at South Boston Speedway in Virginia.
The target of Stewart’s ire was Indy Lights driver Ernie Francis Jr. after the pair made contact under caution early in the second heat.
After they climbed from their race cars, Stewart grabbed the back of Francis’ firesuit and let loose with a verbal barrage.
“They pissed off Uncle Tony right now, so they’re about ready to get a dose of it they don’t want,” Stewart told CBS Sports pit reporter Willy T. Ribbs. “Trust me, I know every dirty trick and got it in my bag. When you’re following somebody and the guy’s outside and as soon as he gets clear, he just turns down across, that’s the dumbest shit you can do, I swear to God. I’m just done playing nice with everybody. Anybody touches me, I’m touching back times five. I’m just done jacking with some of these clowns.”
When Ribbs asked Stewart if he has some axes to grind going forward, Stewart didn’t hold back.
“You’re getting ready to get one hell of a show for the rest of this night and the next four weeks, I can promise you,” Stewart said. “I love Ernie Francis. I was so excited he got here last year and won at IRP (the SRX event at Indianapolis Raceway Park) and it got him a chance at an Indy Lights car and he deserves it. He’s so talented, he’s way more talented than doing the stupid shit he just did out there and that’s probably what ticked me off the most. I try to race these guys all with respect and give them room, we’ve got cars we’ve got to run the next four weeks in a row, and to have guys make stupid mistakes, it just pisses you off.”
Francis responded to Matt Yocum with a smirk on his face and some bravado of his own.
“He came over afterwards pretty upset,” Francis said of Stewart. “I’m not going to take that from him. I know he’s the boss but rubbin’s racing out there. He got up on my inside, I didn’t see him there, I was two-wide with Andretti or someone else, I turned down and didn’t see the car until the last second. For him to hit me under caution (Stewart slammed back into Francis’ car after the initial contact), that’s kind of a dirty move. That’s the kind of stuff Paul Tracy does. For him to go and come after me and push me around afterward, I’m not going to take that from him.”
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Earlier in the same heat, Tracy had some choice words for last week’s season-opening race winner and four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves after an incident involving the duo.
Castroneves spun Tracy, who was in the lead at the time, around early in the heat.
“I’m going to call him Castro from now on,” Tracy said of Castroneves to CBS Sports pit reporter Willy T. Ribbs. “This guy loves to steal wins from me. That’s about as dirty as you can ever get. I drive rough but that was dirty, man.
“He just ran right over me and spun me around. I had a good car, sitting out front, pacing myself and now we’re just going to have to see what happens. He just drove into the back corner of me and turned me around. If I have a bad night, I’m going to be waiting for him.”
When Ribbs asked Tracy if Castroneves may have ran out of brakes, Tracy quipped, “I don’t know if he ran out of brakes or ran out of brains, that’s for sure.”
Keyword: ‘Uncle Tony’ Gets Riled After SRX Heat Race