December 21, 2009
By Matthew Pizzolato
Matthew Pizzolato
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Tony Stewart far exceeded all expectations in his inaugural season with his new race team, Stewart Haas Racing.
The first race he won with his new team was the Sprint All-Star race and although it was a non-points paying event, Stewart enjoyed the win nonetheless, and not just because it was financially rewarding.
"To see those guys get their first win and be part of it with them was what I was really looking for," Stewart said in a Joe Menzer article for nascar.com. "That means more than a million dollars does to me."
Stewart went on to win four points paying races and led the Championship standings for a three month stretch during the middle of the season, enjoying a comfortable lead that would have had the Championship all wrapped up if not for the Chase for the Championship points format, instituted by NASCAR in 2004. When the Chase began, he started second behind Mark Martin by virtue of Martin having earned one more race win.
Stewart had been finishing races consistently in the top 10 during the early part of the season, but he faded a little once the Chase began. As of Talladega, he still had an outside shot at winning the title, but he got caught up in a wreck that also involved his teammate, Ryan Newman. The poor finish eliminated Stewart from title contention.
In his first year with a new team, no one expected Stewart to perform nearly as well as he did. Most were saying that it would be a couple of years before he would win a race, and the idea of him qualifying for the Chase was nonexistent. Stewart silenced his critics when both he and his teammate qualified for NASCAR's post season.
Although Ryan Newman didn't win a race last year, he still enjoyed the best season he's had in the last several years. The season started off on a bad note, but he turned it around with a series of consecutive top ten finishes and was competitive the entire year. Newman suffered perhaps the most spectacular crash of the season at Talladega.
"Am I disappointed if we don't win? Yeah. Am I disappointed if we don't win the championship? Yes, absolutely," Newman was quoted in an article by David Caraviello on nascar.com. "But is [the season] successful in some form? Yes, and then you have to build on those successes and those positive notes to bring more success. I think our team has done a very good job with that."
Stewart Haas Racing certainly has a lot of good things to build upon for the future. With Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman behind the wheel, their driver line up is as talented as any team in the garage. They have proven they know how to win and that they have the drivers and equipment it takes to get the job done.
Next season, look for Ryan Newman to return to form as The Rocketman and win a few races. And of course, Tony Stewart will be lighting up the track, leaving the rest of the field smelling a little smoke.
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