May 23, 2009
By Brenda Benedict
Last week I chose to write about the troubles being faced by Michigan due to the downturn in the economy and the loss of jobs faced by over 12% of Michiganders (that’s what we call ourselves). The automaker’s struggles to reorganize and respond to the demands of today’s world were story #1 here in Michigan. But as a reader pointed out to me, this isn’t limited to Michigan. Gary from Texas stated, “The auto industry troubles are not confined to Michigan. Parts suppliers come from all parts of the country and are going to suffer the collapse as well.”
Yes, I agree. The economy of the entire United States has long been tied to the auto industry and even more so to the ability of Americans to be innovative and first in the world to bring new ideas to the forefront.
The big question for NASCAR continues to be concerning how much impact the collapse of the Big Three will have on the racing world.
Tony Stewart addresses this in an interview this week with the Charlotte Observer. When asked about how the economy is affecting his race team, Stewart responded, “We're dealing with the same problems everybody's dealing with. It's hard for people to spend money, and it's hard to have the confidence to spend money right now. That makes it hard in our industry. We're an industry that is supported by sponsors and manufacturers, and we rely on those marketing dollars, and that's what makes these race teams operate.”
The story I had originally started last week was a prediction that Tony Stewart was very close to winning and that it would be happening anytime soon. It would have been a great prediction because Stewart did win the All-Star Race on Saturday. I would have been right on the button with my prediction.
Tony Stewart stunned the NASCAR world last summer when he announced he was leaving Joe Gibbs Racing to help transform Haas Racing to Stewart-Hass Racing. Stewart-Haas Racing was seen as a very risky venture especially since Stewart would continue as a driver as well as an owner.
Stewart’s year has exceeded the predictions of most people in the NASCAR world.
He’s currently second in the standings, and after a rocky start to the season, fellow team driver Ryan Newman has risen 25 spots over the past seven races to 8th in the points. They finished second and fourth, respectively, at Richmond and both are currently in contention for inclusion in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.
Tony Stewart has long had a reputation as a driver who could be the best or the worst interview in his dealings with the media. Get Stewart on a good day and you have a great time from him when he is telling it like it is but on a bad day-look out. It was not going to be fun.
Stewart’s performance in the All-Star Race at Lowes Motor Speedway showed us all the behavior of the ‘good Tony.’
Stewart’s new role as an owner-driver seems to bring out his best behavior. Even his mother commented that Stewart is enjoying the responsibility of his new position. “Tony now has something to take care of -- a team, employees, a driver and he is really enjoying the responsibility.”
It could be that this new role has given him more control and he appears to be well-suited for the tasks needed as an owner. Stewart is being praised by those dealing with him and watching the results on the race track.
“It's pretty remarkable for a young team like this to come out of the box this year and have this kind of success,” Stewart said in a recent interview.
When asked if he has had any surprises as an owner, he responded, “The surprise has been that it's gone so smoothly. I thought there would be more headaches than this initially, but that's the proof that the people were hired were the right people for the right jobs.”
"He's much more business-savvy than I ever thought he was," said Newman of the boss. "I know he's got a lot of great people around him, but at the same time, he's much more involved than I ever thought or considered him to be.
"I always thought of him as a race driver. ... It's nice to see that he's got great ethics and a lot of respect for the people around him and the opportunity that he gives his employees. He's a very giving man."
Stewart is being touted as a favorite for the Coca-Cola 600 this weekend because he did so well in the All-Star race. So this time, I’m going to make my prediction and not be swayed by current events here in Michigan. Tony Stewart will finish first on Sunday but that will be one step in a great season. Look for a lot more great finishes from Stewart as things heat up this summer.
The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN.
