Practice melee lands Stewart, Busch on probation

NASCAR placed drivers Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart on probation for six races Tuesday, beginning with the Daytona 500. The punishment stems from a confrontation between the two former series champions, who wrecked in practice last week and then carried it into the NASCAR officials' trailer.

NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said the drivers were disciplined solely for the on-track portion of their clash, when the drivers deliberately used their cars as battering rams.

"We will continue to keep a check on this sport and won't let it get out of hand," Poston said. "If there is a repeat between these two, then we will take it much more seriously."

Stewart hit Busch from behind on the track during last Friday’s practice session for the Bud Shootout at Daytona, putting the Penske Racing driver in the wall. Busch then came around the track and rammed the right side of Stewart’s Joe Gibbs Racing car three times on pit road before the cars went into the garage.

Stewart and Busch met with NASCAR officials Friday after the altercation. Sources told the Charlotte Observer that Stewart struck Busch during the meeting. NASCAR officials would not confirm that there was any sort of physical altercation during the meeting and neither driver would talk about what happened during the meeting.

Poston stressed that nothing that happened off the track factored into their discipline.

And while it was Busch who slammed his car into Stewart's as they exited the track, Poston said both drivers were punished because they were involved.

This is actually a relatively light punishment, so maybe NASCAR was being honest when it said it would allow drivers to show more emotion this year.

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