Stewart later exited the race with a parts failure.
As the drivers jockeyed for position mid-pack, Stewart slid up into Almirola, his car’s right front making contact with Almirola’s left rear. Stewart’s car appeared unscathed. Almirola was forced to pit under green because of a tire rub.
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Stewart was the one angered by the incident — one in which he appeared to be at fault.
After the incident, and an ensuing pit stop under caution, Stewart restarted 19th. Almirola was 30th on that restart.
Stewart missed the first eight races of the season. NASCAR issued him a waiver from having to attempt to start every race after he missed the opening ones recovering from a broken vertebra from an off-road accident before the season. Stewart needs to break into the top 30 in the standings and win a race in order to qualify for the Chase for the Sprint Cup in this, his final season.
Cranky?
That, after Stewart had this to say about another competitor.
Stewart then had issues of his own late in the race when he said a track bar broke, puncturing the oil tank and causing Stewart’s car to leak fluid down pit road as he headed to the garage on Lap 344 of the 400. That ended Stewart’s day and caused pit crews to clean up pit road in preparation for what could be the final pit stops.
