NASCAR icon Tony Stewart has always been known for his fiery personality and charged-up outbursts both on and off the track. Over the years he has found himself in the spotlight repeatedly for his outbursts with fellow drivers, and he once made headlines after a physical altercation with a fan went viral.
Stewart, known for his intense competitive streak and no-nonsense attitude, has a history of confrontations during his career and some even with fans. While he retired from full-time NASCAR racing in 2016, he frequently competed in grassroots events. At the time of the incident, he was also a co-owner of the Stewart-Haas Racing team.
Tony Stewart Throws Punch After Being Called a “Quitter”
In 2019, a video surfaced showing the retired NASCAR champion punching a heckler following a sprint car All-Star race at Jackson Motorplex in Jackson, Minnesota. At that time, Stewart was the headline attraction for “Tony Stewart Night,” but unfortunately, he blew his engine after just one lap into the race.
Despite the early exit, the then 48-year-old racing veteran remained at the venue to sign autographs and interact with fans after the event. The situation took a turn for the worst when one attendee had begun heckling Stewart and accused him of quitting the race on purpose.
Confronting the NASCAR star, the disgruntled man yelled, “F— you, Tony. You piece of s—. You come here and basically race for one lap and quit, you piece of s—.”
Stewart, visibly frustrated, had snapped back angrily, “I blew my engine, you f—ing a–hole. Do you want to pay for it?”
In a video posted by TMZ that year, Stewart was seen charging after the man and throwing a punch after the argument escalates. Luckily, the people around them restrained Stewart and broke up the fight. TMZ later claimed that a witness had afterwards heard Stewart saying, “I broke my hand”.
No Charges Pressed
According to USA Today, both parties and race officials managed to sort out the matter mutually and Stewart did not face any charges. The incident was never even reported to the police in Jackson and no formal complaint was ever filed.
Although, Stewart did not publicly comment on the altercation back then, the incident had reignited debate about the driver’s conduct and anger issues especially towards fans and where the line should be drawn at public events.
Since then, Stewart has completely retired from racing full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series. He now races in NHRA events and secured his first career Top Fuel victory at the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals in Las Vegas.