Tony Stewart Miffed at NASCAR Penalties, Happy to Focus on NHRA Drag Racing

• NASCAR fines totaling $300,000 have irked team owner Tony Stewart

• He said he was “super-glad” to be in fun Camping World Drag Racing Series atmosphere in Texas this past weekend.

• While he wasn’t fined at the NHRA’s Texas FallNationals, even that was a bit of a costly weekend at Texas Motorplex.

Tony Stewart opened his wallet to NASCAR . . . and his mouth to the media—and the Camping World Drag Racing Series reaped huge public-relations benefits this past week leading up to the Texas NHRA FallNationals.

It already had been an expensive October for the motorsports mogul. NASCAR levied a hefty $100,000 penalty against Stewart-Haas Racing driver Kevin Harvick and his crew chief, Rodney Childers, after his Ford failed post-race inspection Oct. 2 in the YellaWood 500 at Talladega.

NASCAR then slapped Stewart-Haas Racing with a $200,000 fine following the next race, the Oct. 9 Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte, ruling that Cole Custer and his team attempted to manipulate the outcome of the race to help teammate Chase Briscoe advance in the Playoffs,

The team dropped its appeal in the first case. However, its chief competition director, Greg Zipadelli, said in a statement about the second controversy, “Stewart-Haas Racing denies any wrongdoing and will vigorously defend its personnel against these allegations in its appeal with NASCAR."

Perturbed by the pricey punishments, Stewart told reporters last Wednesday during his fantasy racing camp at Texas Motor Speedway to benefit Speedway Children's Charities just how angry he was at NASCAR.