Tony Stewart in hot water again

UPDATE #2 NASCAR has elected not to penalize Tony Stewart or Mike Bliss in connection with a confrontation between the two that followed last weekend's Busch Series race at Kansas Speedway, spokesman Mike Zizzo said Wednesday. After reviewing the incident, NASCAR officials determined it to be "an internal team matter" within the Joe Gibbs Racing operation, Zizzo said. ThatsRacin.com 10/11/04 According to observers this is what happened: On the track, Bliss was a couple of laps down and Stewart was the race leader when a caution flag came out. Stewart was coming up on Bliss, and Bliss waved him to pass on the inside, a wave that Stewart apparently missed. When Bliss held his high line, Stewart angrily popped him. That angered Bliss, who popped him back. The two traded a few more bumps and obscene gestures before the race resumed. After the race, Stewart waited in Bliss' trailer to talk with him. The exchange became heated, and Stewart punched Bliss, wrestled him to the floor of the trailer and threw at least three more punches, according to witnesses. Winston Salem Journal 10/11/04 NASCAR officials confirmed Sunday they are investigating a confrontation between drivers Tony Stewart and Mike Bliss that took place following Saturday's Busch Series race at Kansas Speedway. The incident involved Stewart and Bliss as well as several others, said NASCAR vice president for corporate communications Jim Hunter. "There was apparently a little incident in a truck hauler after the Busch race and we're going to continue to look into it," he said. "We had some discussions (Sunday). It's a Busch issue. We'll decide what to do – if anything – after we have more details on what took place." Hunter characterized the episode as a "minor incident amongst teammates, I might add." Stewart and Bliss both drive for Joe Gibbs Racing, but Stewart was driving an entry for Chance2 Motorsports in the Busch race Saturday. The two traded several bumps on the track during the race. Stewart, Bliss, JGR president J.D. Gibbs and Stewart's Nextel Cup crew chief, Greg Zipadelli made trips to the NASCAR hauler Sunday morning. Gibbs stopped briefly to speak to reporters after his meeting. "We talked about some stuff that happened yesterday and I think we got it cleared up," he said. "We'll probably have to address it again this week some more and then move on." Hunter said he didn't want to get into the details of the incident, because NASCAR had yet to speak with some witnesses who were not at the track Sunday. Hunter said if a points penalty were involved as a result of NASCAR's investigation, it would only involve Busch points. Stewart is currently one of 10 drivers competing in the Chase for the Nextel Cup. "In my opinion, it was something that carried over from the race track where tempers were involved and in the end, a lot of strong words and that sort of thing," Hunter said. ThatsRacin.com AND Nextel Cup driver Tony Stewart was required to get a checkup at Kansas Speedway's infield care center Sunday morning because he failed to stay there for one Saturday after his late-race wreck with Joe Nemechek. Hunter said Stewart had to have the checkup before he was allowed to race in Sunday's Banquet 400. ThatsRacin.com