Untold Story: When Tony Stewart snubbed a young Joey Logano seeking an autograph

Joey Logano tells the story of how Tony Stewart snubbed him after seeking an autograph when he was young and living in Atlanta.
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[@MrJaybeezy123]

Imagine being a kid and love Tony Stewart, to then growing up and fighting Tony Stewart on pit road. 😂😂😂

[@Koda18]

I feel like it's an American dream 🤷

[@rulebretgne5244]

Like... you know you made it when you peeve off your racing idol in a car next to him... When you meet your hero, and then fight him in his own arena.

[@brandonclark1900]

Fight? You mean throwing a water bottle 😅

[@randykirchhevel7311]

Maybe Tony Stewart should of gave Joey Lagono a Autograph when he was younger and a diehard fan of him. Maybe then that fight in pit road would of never happen.

[@fearandloathingmedia2051]

I had the opposite happen with me and Matt kenseth, He drove a waste management sponsored car in the busch series. One year at daytona, they had a hospitality booth for corporate employees of waste management, and Matt Kenseth was signing autographs. I had a matt kenseth hat and shirt on and was about eight years old. I was watching him sign for the people through a window outside the building, and he noticed me and had them let me in. He took a picture with me with my kodak disposable camera and gave me a waste management employee gift bag with a die cast in it that he signed for me. I still have it to this day.

[@justinkrizenesky]

I have had this same experience with MK many times. Awesome guy, and Katie is wonderfully nice as well. This must've been 2005?

[@vintvarner16]

Totally classy guy, very dry sense of humor/quick wit that you realize 30 seconds after that "damn that was funny"

[@jasonw2671]

That’s an awesome story!

[@fearandloathingmedia2051]

@Justin Krizenesky I can't remember exactly which year but if he only drove the waste management in 05 then that was it.

[@mikelliteras397]

Joey came to an indoor go kart track must be 14-15 years ago. My son was always at the track. He ran karts in south Florida from Miami to Ocala. Joeys handlers didn’t want anyone on the Track with him but he watched my son run and made them let him run. There were also a few slow newbies on the track. My son and Joey drove like maniacs. They had so much fun and Joey laughed nonstop for at least an hour straight. After he signed my sons helmet bag and took pics with him. The Gibbs guys weren’t happy but Joey had the best time he’d had in a few years. Of course my son will never forget it either. Been a fan ever since, even more now that he drives a Ford

[@mistertheking]

I think Joey learned from it and now he's always really nice with fans, especially kids.

[@vintvarner16]

I'm sure there are some he walked past, when hundreds/thousands screaming your name you can't please everyone and I want to hate Joey as he has double standard at times as most drivers do especially Kyle Busch but Joey is so kind and polite and has a genuine smile, I can't dislike him ...lol

[@silvy3047]

He's just happy being a millionaire doing what he loves

[@choose3373]

“Thanks tony” “Thank you” Lmfao love Tony Stewart

[@vintvarner16]

Best interview of all time, hands down but the ending where he thanks for being thanked...

[@EL1TESHARK]

that's that Hoosier hospitality. thanking a guy for thanking you 😂

[@tthetopofmygame]

R.I.P Steve Byrnes

[@EnvirotekCleaningSystems]

I was at Talladega back in the mid to late 90's and going from the infield to the pits, you had to walk past the driver's motorcoach area back then. We stopped at one of the coaches to check out Kyle Petty's Hot Wheels Harley. This "kid" comes out of the coach and sees us standing their like a couple of bumps on a log and instead of ignoring us, like 100% of everyone else would have, including me if I had been him, he asks how we are doing and then asks if we want anything to drink. We say "sure, how about a beer?" He says all they have are Cokes or water, so we ask for Cokes and he comes over and tosses us two Cokes over the fence and we just BS for a bit. It was Adam and he was in the ARCA race driving the Spree car. I remember thinking how could a kid who was Kyle Petty's son and Richard Petty's grandson be so grounded and genuinely nice. A few years later during a Busch night race at Texas, we were on the backstretch fence in our motorhome and there was an awful crash and Adam was in it, but another car was totally engulfed in flames. Adam Petty jumped out of his car and ran as fast as he could directly to the car to help whoever it was in the burning car. Neither of my stories have anything to do with Smoke or Logano, but just remembering those few things about Adam always makes me think about just how big of a star he was going to be in NASCAR. Everyone was going to love him. Such a shame that he was killed.

[@RSWplanespotting]

How the Villian Arc Started

[@danielwest9955]

It's literally Syndrome from 'The Incredibles' XD

[@FloridaSoundsGood]

Had the same experience with Tony multiple times. He wasn't pleasant in person unless it was prearranged.

[@robertmack3602]

Haha I met Tony in NH while he was waiting for his helicopter flight out of the track and he walked up behind Denny Hamlin who was signing autographs and autographed the back of Denny’s shirt. The look on Denny’s face was priceless.

[@tonywalker8421]

The best thing about that fight was the coke family of drivers commercial that came out right after it.

[@codyadams5182]

I went to the Thursday thunder races at Atlanta when Joey was racing bandaleros and legends cars beating the old guys, Joey was a champion of the series at a very young age. We all knew he was a star in the making, Glad to see it !

[@r.j.bragdon4231]

I met tony Stewart when I was 3 in 1999 he singed so many autographs for me ill never forget that one of my first memorys

[@MeMe-zb5lf]

That was pretty normal for Tony back in the day. I had a first hand experience seeing him in Duquoin, Illinois for a modified race. He was with Ken Schrader, and Ken was his normal nice self. I asked Tony to sign my Bud hat at the time, when there was no racing or practice going on, and he rolled his eyes at me, and turned his back. Ken actually came to our turn 2 location on his 4 wheeler, where I was working safety crew for the day, and apologized for Tony's actions, which he didn't need to do. He used to treat fans that way. He has matured a lot, and it seems that he has changed.

[@merlinbeen8432]

If I recall from another interview (or this one) regarding Joey and Tony. Tony texts him presently and has a nickname for him. LOL. They get along just fine.......

[@the8jrfan]

Everyone has a bad autograph story from tony stewart. I have several.

[@BwInNewJersey]

Go on…

[@CentralTexasRailJetProductions]

Please elaborate cause I am genuinely Intrigued.

[@pjh1776]

I love Joey and Tony needed a speech coach because he had more to say back then but his frustration put a restrictor plate on his mouth sometimes.

[@jayryia]

Funny how people still hate on Logano for stuff that happened years and years ago as if the drivers don't mature and become better. Nobody remembers how bad Kurt was? Look at Kurt now. Among others. Time makes people better and if many of the very drivers who had issues with Logano could have amicable responses/comments about him, others can too. It's just the fans who keep up all this sort of drama... much like how fans go after Lewis Hamilton in F1.

[@adamspark9259]

And they conveniently forget that most of the stuff they hate Joey for was Joey getting back at those who were rough on him on the track, like the Kenseth incident at Kansas. They bark at him for blocking, but when he has enough of being blocked and stops putting up with it, he gets hate.

[@jaygwins]

Little did Joey know he’d be driving that same #20 Home Depot car for a bit Edit. That part came up after posting the comment

[@SalisburyTheWaterFoxxo]

XD

[@zachm2448]

Back in the day at Martinsville, before they installed the tunnel, the drivers would have to get to/from the infield by walking through the stands. I was at practice on Saturday and Tony and Bobby Labonte came walking past before the truck race started. They were both happily signing autographs. I was probably like 8 years old at the time and was a huge Jeff Gordon fan. I didn’t really know much other than it was really cool to see drivers up close, so I handed Tony my 24 hat and he took it, but flipped it back to me without signing it once he saw it was a Gordon hat. As a kid it was pretty upsetting, but Bobby gladly scratched his autograph on it, so that made my day. I pulled against Tony for a long time after that, but after a while I didn’t care anymore. Still have that JG hat with a BL signature on the bill lol

[@yfi62dortoh]

That is great lol. Idk why tony was always such an asshole.

[@zachm2448]

@@yfi62dortoh He definitely had a hard to like attitude in his early career. Once he started running for his own team, he’d grown on me some. I became a pit road firefighter at Martinsville in my early 20’s and actually was in his pit box for a race the year he won his last championship. Got to mingle with his crew and it was an overall awesome experience. I guess that made up for the situation many years prior.

[@TWProductions90]

What's funny is as a kid my dad tossed Joe Gibbs my jeff gordon hat after a pre Busch series speaking event he did for church groups that'd go and he signed it 😅

[@AnnasPagesandReads]

The ironic part about this story is I've had a similar experience with Joey lol

[@julianescobar2395]

I had the opppsite with montoya before the new Hampshire spring race of 2009. He was in Bogotá at a shopping mall event and he took a photo with me. He is famous for not being very kind, but still took the time to have that memory

[@DannyNGraysOfficial]

Tony never has really changed lol still does this . Lol not as bad tho

[@thehooncow9143]

Much better personality than logano imo

[@Shadow31999]

I dont care for Logano as a driver but have no idea how you or anybody could say that about Logano when he does absolutely everything he can for fans and is one of the few drivers who seems to genuinely enjoy engaging with fans.

[@thehooncow9143]

Don't respect him as a driver he just seems so self absorbed on the track and his actions within the last few seasons have shown that clearly. I know him hamlin keselowski etc. Ppl that I don't personally care for are humanitarians n shiz outside of a race car but they act as if the the trophy is always there's and they'll do whatever it takes to get it even if it damages their reputation as a driver in the process

[@thehooncow9143]

And its truly sickening how far they'll go. In other words he to me acts the way Tony did to him on that very day all the time as a racer. Pissed off frustrated and selfish. I have the utmost respect for Tony cuz he proved himself over and over again after having those types of issues with other races and built an amazing budding career out of it Smoke 4life

[@Christoffski]

I would be very disappointed if I asked Tony Stewart for an autograph outside of a something like a meet and greet and he actually stopped and gave it to me. 😅

[@ku4uv]

I read a story once where Tommy Lasorda asked a player for an autograph when he was on a field trip to a game as a kid. The guy basically told him, "Get lost kid!" A few years go by, and Lasorda in now in the big leagues, pitching against this guy. He takes the ball and whizzes it past the guy's head a few times. After the game, the guy asks Lasorda what the hell his problem was. Lasorda told him, "Remember that little kid that you told to get lost when he asked for your autograph, that was me." Lasorda said he told his players whenever a little kid comes up to you and asks you for an autograph, you better sign it, or one day he might just grow up and knock you on your ass!

[@TheREALBillyMan]

One of the races my parents went to when TS was just getting started in Nascar, he had apparently sent out his wife at the time to sign autographs for him💀 I’m pretty sure it was the dover race in 2000 I think

[@baileybrannan]

It’s always a freaking autograph story🤣

[@4StrokeShop]

I don’t think Tony was mad about signing things and talking to the fans but they were literally on top of him. Has to get old after a while.

[@ChucksPullingVideos]

1:47 one of the best interviews of all time 💯

[@noahpyke6091]

Idk if they still do this back in the day when I was a little kid I think I was 9 or 10 I was also the biggest tony Stewart fan and nascar would have the drivers sign autographs in booths outside of the tracks and my parents didn’t buy a ticket to wait in line for us to meet tony but he saw me wearing all his merch head to toe and snuck me and my dad in for free and sign my hat and my dads diecast. Have both to this day.

[@Christoffski]

I wouldn't sign autographs either. I would hand them a business card with a discount code and link to my signed merch store. 😎

[@donaldhill1758]

The day TS thought he was going to slap Mr.Logano around is the day I saw Mr. Logano grow into a man. No disrespect intended. I was so proud to see you make a stand. Time for a 2nd One Joey.

[@toniavasseur9574]

Over here at DFW there is a place where you can go get his autograph and nobody showed up to get his autograph was it last year

[@ImmaWright]

Im just glad Tony never ran him over with his race car 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@paulmiller657]

Thanks for reminding us how much of an ass T.S. was and "is"! I was doing photography at Darlington Speedway once and he, as well as his crew members didn't appear to appreciate he was being photographed. Jeff Gordon and his PR Rep were much the same. Maybe that's why they never achieved the success of the King! Richard Petty set the standard and the example for appreciating fans of the sport! On more than one occasion Richard was always gracious and pleased to sign an autograph or have a photo taken!

[@joshsmithson7955]

I was at auto club 13’ !

[@BwInNewJersey]

Never been a Tony fan. Reminds of someone else who is very popular but consistently whines and complains. I hate whiners.

[@williamcampbell6589]

Tony must have learned the snub from his hero. A.J. Foyt snubbed my dad when he was a kid at the little 500 in Indiana. Lol

[@TheLegendofBrettMorrison]

well damn I have a Tony Stewart and Lil Joey Lagano Auto.

[@John-kx3ng]

Met Harvick in 1998 when he drove for Liberty Racing in the truck series and was cool. Then met him in 2002 and was a tool.

[@greymarket6834]

i have the same story, from when i was little, but with barry bonds. i got in a fight with him in a bar 20 years later. he called me a dumb SOB. we are friends now

[@ku4uv]

Yeah, right.

[@Nebraska93]

Classic

[@beckyumphrey2626]

Napoleon syndrome.... All five foot two inches.

[@revelationakagoldeneagle8045]

✌️ 😎

[@randymente80]

Joey little did the bully know your right up there with him.😝

[@drummer51297]

Then he took his ride

[@ImmaWright]

Nicest drivers I've met Kevin Harvick, Bobby Labonte, Jeff Gordon. Biggest D-bags I've met Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Sr.

[@cupchamp5]

I always thought Harvick would have been a jerk, but it's great he wasn't

[@kerryzapata9971]

I guess thats why Tony calls you spoons

[@Iconfuseu2000]

So they fought because Stewart never gave the autograph lol

[@vader518]

Is this the tony stewart that killed that kid in New York?

[@andrewwheeler9018]

I still don’t like Tony lol

[@M3RK_54]

Ahhhh!!! He still had the shiny head

[@jasonjackson5493]

Definitely before Bosley

[@RichmondShaw]

Don’t him at all!!!😂

[@thehooncow9143]

Boo just logano getting what he now deserves hopefully the boos are louder than when everyone hated Kyle busch funny

[@jaydensanchez7881]

Bro…..

[@thehooncow9143]

Well deserved

[@velvetjones1856]

Would rather have seen when Tony punched out Logano.

[@stevereed8786]

His character is legendary. His temper tantrums are well recorded. Just look at his reaction when that terrible accident happened with Kevin Ward. He said he didn't see him.

[@dannyking748]

That is an absolute stupid story

[@clintondarnell5318]

I love it!!! Screw crybaby logano lmao

[@REEEEEEEEEEEE0]

Joey lucky that Tony didn't run him over

[@scottymiller93]

Gotta love smoke… can’t stand joey tho

[@Cyogenic]

Why not

[@scottymiller93]

@@Cyogenic same reason Tony complained about em … wants everyone to race him clean but won’t race anybody clean. He’s a complainer unless he gets it his way

[@andybales7318]

U would like a murderer 🤡

[@Tennessee_Jon]

Ole Lagano needs to get him some KEEPS to help him with his receding hairline at such a young age. Heck he just got old enough to experience the pain of pulling dingle berries out much less a receding hairline. Maybe a future SPONSORSHIP in the works.

[@jtu6866]

Tony has never liked Joey even when Joey became famous