WTHR |USAC mulls Stewart's punishment for altercation at ORP

USAC mulls Stewart's punishment for altercation at ORP

Speedway - United States Auto Club officials are meeting Monday to determine whether Tony Stewart is in trouble for a physical confrontation Thursday night in Clermont.

In a video provided exclusively to Eyewitness Sports, Stewart is seen in the pits during the J.D. Byrider 100 USAC race at O'Reilly Raceway Park. Stewart owns a car driven by Tracey Hines, which was involved in a wreck.  Officials did not want to let Hines back on the track.

Stewart marched into the pack of officials and became visibly upset. He snatched a headset off the head of one of the USAC officials.  As he walked away and the official replaced the headphones, Stewart returned and yanked them off again.

Another USAC official approached Stewart as he walked away from the first officials.  Stewart shoved the second official with two hands. No punches were thrown in the incident.

Monday morning, a USAC spokesman told Henry Wofford of Eyewitness News that Stewart met with the USAC officials following the race at ORP, and would not be meeting with them again. 

USAC will now decide whether Stewart violated any rules and determine what fines or punishment may be in order.  A decision is not expected until late Monday at the earliest.

Brownsburg's Bobby East led all 100 laps to win Thursday's race. Hines leads the series point standings.

It was a busy week for Stewart, who is in Indianapolis for Sunday's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. On Friday, he unveiled the car he'll drive next year for Stewart-Haas Racing, of which he'll have an ownership role. Stewart is giving up his familiar orange number 20 car for a red, black and white number 14 car, in honor of his hero, A.J. Foyt.

Earlier in the week, he presented protective vests for 30 state police dogs which he donated as part of his Tony Stewart Foundation. The organization has provided the Kevlar vests to police dogs in 22 states.

Stewart finished 23rd in Sunday's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, which he had won two of the last three years.