Stewart says Addington is not being replaced

Tony Stewart's win in the FedEx 400 gave him an opportunity to squelch rumors of crew chief Steve Addington possibly being replaced. "I was ticked," he said after the race Sunday. "I don't need that crap. I've got enough stuff to worry about, keeping three cars competitive and trying to get them in that state and having to deal with a bunch of bullcrap that's inaccurate and speculation." You might want to talk to the guys that write the checks, the guys that work there, and find out the facts before you guys go throwing darts on the dartboard," he told the media.

"I'll be honest, it pissed me off because it was a big distraction to my team, my organization. It kept us from doing our job, because people are hearing humors and reading what you guys write, and it was totally inaccurate and unprofessional in my opinion." A three-time Cup champion, Stewart is expected to regularly compete for wins. He fired crew chief Darian Grubb even though they made the Chase in 2011, and then won the championship together that season. But Stewart seems committed to Addington, who had most recently worked with both the Busch brothers at Joe Gibbs Racing and Penske Racing. Sporting News