Tony Stewart’s reaction to Clint Bowyer throwing punches: ‘If you’re gonna fight, fight’

The NASCAR All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway made headlines Saturday night for the wild aftermath when Clint Bowyer angrily charged at Ryan Newman and began furiously punching the No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing driver, who was still seated in the car.

With his own helmet still on, Bowyer got in so many punches it was hard to count — it’s also hard to tell if his fists actually made contact with Newman — and he was quickly pulled away by his own crew members, Newman’s crew members and NASCAR officials. When Bowyer’s Stewart-Haas Racing co-team owner, Tony Stewart, found out how it all went down, he had some criticism for his driver.

Stewart, who got into plenty of fights and heated arguments in his racing days, was voted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame on his first appearance on the ballot Wednesday and was asked about the altercation.

Tony Stewart on what he told Clint Bowyer after the haymakers with Ryan Newman #nascar ⁦@NASCARONFOX⁩ pic.twitter.com/VmkMG70VWT

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) May 22, 2019

“These kids leave their helmets on to fight,” Stewart said in a video tweeted by FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass, who’s also a USA TODAY Sports contributor. “Men take their helmets off, and they fight. If you’re gonna fight, fight.”

Stewart, who still races sprint cars even after retiring from NASCAR, explained that he was at a race in Ohio and not at the All-Star event. So he didn’t see the on-track incidents that led to Bowyer picking a fight.

But his phone was blowing up, and when he asked what happened, someone told him to check Twitter.

When he saw what happened, Stewart said he texted Bowyer immediately.

Fireworks after the #AllStarRace checkered flag between @ClintBowyer and @RyanJNewman! pic.twitter.com/ciFkzAUKvy

— #AllStarRace (@NASCAR) May 19, 2019

Stewart explained:

“The first thing I did was text Clint. I said, ‘Listen.’ I said, ‘Take your helmet off if you’re going to get in a fight for Pete’s sakes. And he goes, ‘I didn’t have time.’

“But the second text I sent him, I said, ‘Don’t lose that passion to fight for what you believe in.’ So I don’t know, I picked at him a little bit.”

As the three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion continued, he rightly pointed out the best part of this post-race chaos is Bowyer and Newman are apparently scheduled to do an autograph session Thursday at Bass Pro Shops. And just out of curiosity, Stewart said he might dress up as a fan getting an autograph just to see how it all plays out.

Stewart is one of five Hall of Fame members of the Class of 2020, which will be inducted next January. He is joined by drivers Buddy Baker and Bobby Labonte, crew chief and engine builder Waddell Wilson, and team owner Joe Gibbs, who was also selected for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996.

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