She'll make Tony feel all better.

From the moment Tony Stewart limped out of his car clutching his shoulder, the whiners of the racing world came out in full force: It's not fair to injured Tony that he will lose points if he can't race next week.

You didn't hear an owner cry. You didn't hear a driver complain. Only the NASCAR media became overly concerned with the rules requiring a driver to run every race to have a realistic chance of winning the championship.

Because despite all the corporate bullshit, points gerrymandering, and sponsorship fellatio that has invaded NASCAR in the last decade, one thing remains the same: When the drivers climb into the cars every Sunday, they are still badasses. Sure, they can't fight after the race, sound like tape recordings in Victory Lane, and must pretend to really, really care about some new cell phone plan that allows customers to call Tonga for just 18 cents a minute. But in the cockpit on race day, they are still the same tough guys who used to run moonshine in the backwoods of Georgia.

Racing Ruminations

Any hack columnist can predict the top five MBNA 400 finishers. I predict the top five and the guy who will finish 17th!

LAST WEEK Top five: 2/5 17th: 0–1

SEASON Top five: 25/60 17th: 0–12

1. Mark Martin

2. Jimmie Johnson

3. Greg Biffle

4. Jeff Gordon

5. Ryan Newman

17. Tony Stewart

Changing the points rules to allow injured drivers to skip a race or two without penalty might make things easier for Stewart to take the time to heal. But it wouldn't be fair to guys like Ricky Rudd, Dale Earnhardt Jr., or Davey Allison.

Rudd held his eyes open with duct tape so he could run the 1984 Daytona 500. Earnhardt Jr. burned himself up in an accident in 2004, but still raced the next two weekends in constant pain.

Allison ran every race in 1992 and nearly won the title despite being airlifted from the track after two separate accidents. His injury tab? A bruised lung, two concussions, a broken arm, a broken wrist, and a broken collarbone.

Driving despite horrific injuries is a tradition in NASCAR. You haven't heard Stewart bitch about having to drive this weekend. I bet he won't even need relief driver Rudd at the first caution. Smoke will stay out on the track for all 400 miles. And if Kyle Busch wrecks him and causes Tony's busted arm to fall off, Stewart will beat Busch to death with his bloody limb. Stewart is that much of a badass. (And then Stewart will celebrate by eating three Hardee's Philly Cheesesteak Thickburgers. He's that much of a fatass.)