Are bygones really bygones?

RIDGEWAY, VA - APRIL 05: Tony Stewart, driver of the #14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, is interviewed after practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series STP Gas Booster 500 on April 5, 2013 at Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
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RIDGEWAY, VA - APRIL 05:  Tony Stewart, driver of the #14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, is interviewed after practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series STP Gas Booster 500 on April 5, 2013 at Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia.  (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
RIDGEWAY, VA – APRIL 05: Tony Stewart, driver of the #14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, is interviewed after practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series STP Gas Booster 500 on April 5, 2013 at Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

MARTINSVILLE, Va.— Both Tony Stewart and Joey Logano indicated Friday that their blocking incident at Fontana is in the rear-view mirror.

Though Stewart says his stance on blocking hasn’t changed, he deflected a question about his promise to teach Logano a lesson.

“That’s two weeks ago,” Stewart said. “I’m on Martinsville this weekend. We’re trying to figure out what we need to do to make our race cars go fast this week.”

From Logano’s point of view, the off week in the Cup schedule has helped.

“I feel like, with Tony and I, it’s pretty much over,” Logano said during a question-and-answer session behind his transporter. “We have not talked to each other, but we had an off weekend and time to relax a little bit and cool off, so I feel like that’s over. I feel like we’re moving on.”

What remains to be seen is how Logano and Stewart will treat each other when they’re in close proximity on the track. No matter what the drivers might say, race fans around the world will be watching to see if actions speak louder than words.

SHORT STROKES

Elliott Sadler will drive a fourth Joe Gibbs Racing car in three NASCAR Sprint Cup races under sponsorship from Alert Energy Caffeine Gum, the team announced Friday. Sadler will be behind the wheel of the No. 81 Toyota Camry at Kansas (Apr. 21) and at both Talladega races (May 5 and Oct. 20). …

Mark Martin, who is subbing for Denny Hamlin this weekend, is convinced controversy is a good thing when it comes to raising the profile of the sport. “It makes for really good TV to have the controversy,” Martin said. “It’s good for the sport to have rivals and controversy. I don’t particularly want to be in one, but I certainly don’t mind watching one.”

Greg Engle
About Greg Engle 7421 Articles
Greg is a published award winning sportswriter who spent 23 years combined active and active reserve military service, much of that in and around the Special Operations community. Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.