Stewart/Gordon feud a non-starter?

Although Jeff Gordon was clearly heard on TV threatening to slam Stewart into the wall the first chance he gets, the participants said cooler heads will prevail in Sunday's Pepsi 400 at Michigan Speedway.

In fact, the two drivers tested at Daytona International Speedway on Tuesday in a NASCAR evaluation to determine ways to improve the racing on the restrictor-plate race tracks - Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. Before the test began, the two drivers went up to each other, poked each other in the chest, and laughed.

"I've always been the lead of some highlights somewhere for some reason," Stewart said. "I think our sport is so clean and NASCAR and everybody involved has spent so much time trying to build a good image, once in a while it's not bad to show the human side of it. It's part of life.

"I'm afraid if I trip some old lady in the garage area, I'm going to be in big trouble with somebody. It would be an accident, but I would be in trouble for sure."

The confrontation stemmed from a second-lap incident at Watkins Glen where Gordon and Stewart were racing side-by-side going through the esses on the road course. Neither driver backed off, Stewart slid up the track and it sent Gordon's Chevrolet into the guardrail. Both cars were able to continue in the race, although the damage to Gordon's car dropped him a lap down to the field while repairs were made. Stewart finished sixth.

After the race, the two drivers pulled into the garage area and were parked near each other. That is when the two got into a heated verbal exchange.

"We tested Tuesday in Daytona," Gordon said. "He was there and he didn't say anything to me. As far as I'm concerned, I'll go about my business and continue to race as hard as I can, whether it's against him or anybody else. But I might be a little more careful with him. You learn how you can race and who you can't in situations like that.

"I had a great opportunity to win a race. I had a clean pass, I felt like. He felt I went too early to make that pass. I felt like there should have been a little more consideration. When we got out of the cars he started mouthing off. I'm certainly not going to back down to something like that when I felt like I wasn't the one at fault. What it comes down to is it doesn't matter who is at fault. It happened and there is nothing you can do about it now. You try to forget about it and move on. He's competitive. So am I."