Tony Stewart claims the current generation of NASCAR drivers don’t care about ‘racing etiquette’

Hyper-aggressive racing was a major discussion point in the NASCAR garage in 2023.

Tony Stewart claims the current generation of NASCAR drivers don’t care about ‘racing etiquette’

Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick (Via IMAGO)

NASCAR is a tough sport as, unlike most motorsport events in the world, the drivers are given a bit more leniency regarding hard racing. This has made some label NASCAR racers as athletes without etiquette, which is far from the truth. Despite having the opportunity to race hard, the NASCAR racers often race clean, as they should.

But over the years, as the new generation started climbing the sports ladder, there have been certain changes to this culture. Increased safety, funding, and low precautions make young racers take more risks. While this change does increase the close racing, it also produces scenarios that should be avoided.

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The former NASCAR champion and co-owner of SHR, Tony Stewart, has recently addressed this drop in clean racing. He pointed out that unlike the sport’s pioneers as recent as Jeff Gordon, the current generation of drivers don’t care about etiquette. He also named the veteran who taught him how to race clean.  

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The things that always made me mad and all the blow-ups and everybody thought I was off my rocker; it wasn’t about wanting to be mad. It was about etiquette…It was about what Dale Sr., Dale Jarrett, Mark Martin, Bobby Labonte, Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, what all these veteran drivers taught me when I came into NASCAR. Then you got all these new guys coming in, and they don’t care about etiquette.
Tony Stewart said via Hot Rod Pod.

Racing etiquette was a major topic of discussion in the 2023 NASCAR season

From the start of the 2023 season, the veteran drivers publicly discussed the hyper-aggressive style of racing coming to the sport via the newcomers. RCR’s two-time Cup winner Kyle Busch and Joe Gibbs Racing’s three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin were the face of the discussion.

Heavy wreck at the Talladega Speedway
Heavy wreck at the Talladega Speedway (Credits: NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Race/ X)

They questioned the racing style of drivers such as Ross Chastain of Trackhouse Racing and Truck Series star Carson Hocevar. Some of the antics from the veterans on the track were also questioned. While some good progress was shown after the criticism rose, the season finale destroyed the momentum.

The 2023 Truck season finale was one of the worst events ever in the sport, and it saw the young Championship-4 drivers involved in incidents that should’ve been avoided. Carson Hocevar was one of the culprits behind the mess. Going into the 2024 season, NASCAR hopes to control and remove such behavior from drivers on the track.

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