Ryan Newman rips Tony Stewart for 'being bipolar and having anger issues'
Ryan Newman ripped into his former boss at Stewart-Haas Racing, Tony Stewart, after a violent multi-car wreck during the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway ended Newman's Chase chances.
"I don't even have to watch it," Newman said of a replay of the incident that left the No. 83 car of driver Dylan Lupton on top of Newman's No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. "The 14 (SHR Chevy of Stewart) cut across my nose going into Turn 1. I got into him after that, but he had already chopped into me and messed up my line.
"I clipped him a little bit coming off (Turn) 2, but then he just came across my nose going down the back straightway there. I guess he thought he was in a sprint car again and couldn't control his anger."
After the race, Stewart admitted in a television interview that he wrecked Newman on purpose. But he calmly defended his reasoning for doing so.
Told Newman said Stewart's move was intentional, the three-time Cup champion replied: "He's right. I mean, that was the third time he had driven into me during the night. How many times does a guy get a free pass until you've had enough of it?
"So, you know, he's got to do his part racing to get in there (to the Chase) to race for a championship. And if you're going to run into guys. ... I go into (Turn) 1 and he dive-bombs in there. I was already coming down. It's not like I was trying to squeeze him into the infield or something.
"Ryan and I have been good friends. I don't do that to him. But he hits me in 1, he hits me coming off Turn 2, and that was the third time by the time. There was one time earlier in the race that nobody saw. Three times? That's two more time than I normally let somebody run into me."
Newman knew he needed to win Saturday night's race to earn a spot in the NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup playoffs.
And after an eventful up-and-down night, he made it all the up to 10th with 37 laps remaining in the 400-lap event. Then, as he attempted to pass Stewart for ninth, absolute disaster struck.
Newman indeed made contact twice with the rear of the No. 14 SHR Chevy of Stewart, but then Stewart, by his own admission, came down across the nose of Newman's car.
"It's just disappointing that you've got somebody old like that's retiring -- should be retired the way he drives -- it's just ridiculous," Newman said. "I only hit him in Turn 1 when he cut across my nose, so I don't think there was any reason other than him just being bipolar and having anger issues.
"Google Tony Stewart. You'll see all kinds of things he's done. Look it up on YouTube and everything else. He's quite the guy."
Newman drove for owner-driver Stewart from 2009 through 2013, when Stewart and SHR co-owner Gene Haas elected to replace Newman with Kevin Harvick.
Stewart, who announced before this began that he would retire at the end of it, seemed humored by Newman's suggestion that he already should be retired.
"Well, he'll get his wish in 10 weeks," said the 45-year-old Stewart, who was assured of his spot in the Chase playoffs by virtue of an earlier win at Sonoma. "So he'll get his wish. Maybe next year without us here, he'll get his spot in the Chase that way.
"He's a guy that can get in here and he's going to win a championship before it's all said and done. But this night didn't dictate it for him (this year). There are 26 weeks that get you to the Chase. ... The 25 weeks before this set the tone for tonight."
