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Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman smooth things out after Richmond incident

 
Published Sept. 17, 2016

JOLIET, Ill. — Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman left a NASCAR-mandated meeting Friday insisting their dustup last weekend is behind them and no apologies are needed.

The former teammates laughed and joked while addressing reporters outside the NASCAR hauler at Chicagoland Speedway. They met for about 35 minutes with NASCAR executives after Stewart wrecked Newman late in last Saturday's race at Richmond.

"We've been friends for a long time so, yeah, it was important for us to be in there and talk about it," Stewart said.

The incident ended Newman's faint hopes of reaching the Sprint Cup Chase for the Championship. He blistered Stewart after the race, calling him "bipolar" and bringing up the 2014 incident in which Stewart fatally struck a sprint car driver in New York.

Newman said Friday he doesn't have any regrets for what he said.

"It's just words, right? I think more often than not we're men of action," Newman said. "It's all about going out there and doing our job."

Rain canceled qualifying for Sunday's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 was rained out. Top Chase seed Kyle Busch will be on the pole with Brad Keselowski second.

Trucks: Kyle Busch led 95 of 151 laps to win the American Ethanol E15 225 at Chicagoland Speedway, the last race before the series' inaugural Chase for the Championship.

NHRA: Tommy Johnson Jr. took the Funny Car led the first qualifying day at the Carolina Nationals in Concord, N.C. Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Jason Line (Pro Stock) and Jerry Savoie (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also led.