“Get out and argue”: When Tony Stewart described his ‘preferred method’ to deal with angry drivers

Former NASCAR driver and former NASCAR team co-owner Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), Tony Stewart, once explained how he deals with angry drivers after the race. Stewart is regarded as one of the greatest drivers of all time, with three NASCAR Cup Series championships and 43 career Cup wins.

In 2015, during an interview with USA Today, Tony Stewart, who is known for his no-nonsense attitude both on and off the track, revealed his preferred method to handle disputes on the racetrack. Stewart preferred immediate, face-to-face confrontation, where arguments—and sometimes even physical altercations—quickly settled disagreements on the spot, leaving no lingering issues.

When asked how he preferred drivers to deal with on-track feuds, Stewart replied:

“My preferred method is to get out and argue for a minute, and if they don't get the point, then you do like you do in the old short track days and swing it out. Normally by the time that would be finished, it was settled and done.”

“That was always the most effective method to getting it resolved and moving on. Nowadays, it's phone calls and NASCAR having to get you in there the next week to make sure everybody's all right. So that part has changed quite a bit.”

Tony Stewart’s fiery reputation wasn’t just talk. Over his career, the Columbus, Indiana, native was involved in some of NASCAR’s most memorable altercations.

Whether it was throwing helmets at Matt Kenseth’s moving car during the Bristol race in 2012 or heated exchanges with Joey Logano in 2013 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Stewart exemplified his “get out and argue” mantra in action several times during his career.

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Tony Stewart once named a person whose autograph was a big deal for him during childhood

NASCAR legend once recalled his early memory with Mel Kenyon, a legendary midget car racer who was renowned for his dominance in the sport and his enduring fan connection. Stewart recalled an event at Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he got a sign from Kenyon, and it was a memorable autograph for him during his childhood.

In the aforementioned interview, Stewart said:

“Mel Kenyon, the midget driver. We were at Fort Wayne (Indiana) and he actually had cards he had signed. There were a bunch of kids, and I just remember everybody wanted to get an autograph from him.”

In the NASCAR Cup Series, Tony Stewart won four NASCAR titles, winning two as a driver in 2002 and 2005, one as owner/driver in 2011, and one as an owner in 2014 with Kevin Harvick.