Matt DiBenedetto calls out Tony Stewart
By Christopher Olmstead, Fansided
Tony Stewart and Matt DiBenedetto shared some words with one another on Friday afternoon after Sprint Cup Series practice. The cause for the conversation was that Stewart was upset with DiBenedetto's on-track etiquette. The result of the conversation was DiBenedetto putting Stewart on blast for anyone that was willing to listen.
DiBenedetto explained the incident and shared his thoughts on Stewart via Motorsport.com.
I went up to him to apologize and explain the situation to him. I'm not an idiot. I wouldn't just pull in front of him. I told him the No. 19 pulled out in front of me on the racetrack. That checked up all of my momentum and by that time – things happen so fast around here – that's when I got to Turn 3, he was getting a few car lengths of me so I just pulled over to let him go. He didn't understand. I tried to tell him what happened, but he just told me I just needed to get out of the way and whatever. He really just didn't know what to say.
He's just an arrogant prick. He has anger issues and needs to focus on driving the race car other than dedicating the whole practice session to blocking somebody when it wasn't something I did intentionally. I don't care who he is, he is barking up the wrong tree.
Someone might want to fill DiBenedetto in on just who Stewart is. There is a popular expression out there about how one should never pull on Superman's cape, putting Stewart on blast the way that DiBenedetto did is like pulling on the proverbial cape. Stewart is a big boy and his feelings aren't going to be hurt because you called him a name. That being said, Stewart is also a three-time champion and in his book it's evident by past instances that respect is earned and not simply handed out.
On Friday DiBenedetto certainly didn't earn himself any respect. Martinsville is a place where patience run thin by design, if Stewart finds himself near DiBenedetto during the race on Sunday you can bet that he will have no patience with the driver of the No. 83 machine. If DiBenedetto finds himself holding Stewart up on the track this weekend you can also bet that the only respect that will be offered is a shove out of the way.
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