It's just how 'Ol Smoke races

<p>Faster than you can say “you had it coming,” Brian Vickers gave Tony Stewart a shove Sunday. Stewart and his car spun, slid, climbed up some tires and came to a stop at Turn 11 at Infineon, his rear end on the tires, the front of his car pointed to the track he just left, his nose resting on the ground. In the finest and most revered of NASCAR traditions, tongues began to wag and imaginations began to unravel.</p><p>Someone took out Ol' Smoke. No one does that to Ol' Smoke without walking with a limp. Even at high speeds NASCAR is a polite chess match if it weren't for large egos experiencing large disrespect.</p><p>Stewart had spun out Vickers at Turn 11 on lap 39 of the Save/Mart 350. On lap 88 Vickers returned the favor but in much more dramatic fashion. Any car resting at a 45-degree to the ground rests with a particular emphasis. Take That Punk! comes to mind. With Stewart in the driver's seat, the following temptation could not be avoided: Google “Tony Stewart's incidents” and 5,520,000 results pop up. Google “Brian Vickers' incidents” and 105,000 results are listed.</p><p>Stewart's the hammer in this one and Vickers is the nail. After all, Vickers spun out a guy who was arrested, and released, by police this past January in Australia for reportedly hitting a dirt track owner over the head with his helmet.</p><p>“I dumped him (on lap 39) for blocking me,” Stewart said. “He got me back. If they block, they are going to get dumped. I don't race guys that way. I never have. If guys want to block they are going to get wrecked every time. I don't blame him. It was payback.”</p><p>Stewart made it sound so businesslike, it was like a bank transaction. I made a deposit. Vickers made a deposit.</p><p>Vickers? He said he was wasn't blocking. Just pinned in. Had to slow down. Sorry, Smoke. Nothing personal. Really.</p><p>“I haven't a problem with Tony since the last time we got together here,” Vickers said.</p><p>That would be in 2004 at this very track and at this very Turn 11. It was a Vickers-Stewart wreck which prompted Stewart afterward to go after Vickers while Vickers was still in his car, climbing through the window and grabbing him. At the time Vickers said he was baffled why Stewart attacked him. That's seven years ago but in NASCAR years, that's six months ago. Drivers never forget a disrespect. That they take it personally and take it further, depends on their personalities. Stewart's is well-known for a short fuse.</p><p>“I've been on the other side of it with him when he can get mad,” said Jeff Gordon of Stewart. “He's not a guy that you want to have gunning for you. He's a great racecar driver, he's smart and he can get really mad.”</p><p>Yes, they are making nice now. Sunday Stewart and Vickers accomplished what Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president of competition and racing development, proclaimed last year. Have at it boys, and police yourselves. Drivers, be your own regulatory agency.</p><p>“It's all good,” Vickers said. “We're all square. It's just hard racing.”</p><p>But nothing in NASCAR is rarely ever this easily explained and compartmentalized. Emotions rule this sport as much as talent. Emotions can hit the delete key of reason at any time in a race.</p><p>“We'll see how this one plays out,” Gordon said.</p><p>It likely won't play out next week at Daytona. To pay back someone with a spin-out at 70 mph at Infineon is one thing. To do it at 200 mph at Daytona is a beast of a different color. But Stewart is on the bubble, in 12th and last place for The Chase, just 14 points ahead of Greg Biffle. Vickers, meanwhile, is 26th, no chance for The Chase.</p><p>At the right moment would Stewart bump Vickers, knowing he's not taking anyone out of The Chase? Would Vickers, on the other hand, take out Stewart at the right moment to drop Smoke out of The Chase? Curious indeed for that is the genius of a NASCAR dust-up. It lives on, real or imagined, long past the incident. NASCAR needs those memories otherwise it wouldn't be NASCAR.</p><p>For more North Bay sports go to Bob Padecky's blog at padecky.blogs.pressdemocrat.com. You can reach Staff Columnist at 521-5223 or bob.padecky@pressdemocrat.com.</p>