Sprint Cup Headline News, Commentary and Race Coverage

StubHub.com






Click on button to go to
Home Page
Insider Racing News


SoldOutEventTickets.com
F1 Tickets
MotoGP Tickets




St. Jude Children's
Research Hospital

Insider Racing News
Copyright © 2000-2009. All Rights Reserved.

Nextel Cup® and NASCAR® are registered trademarks of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. This web site is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by NASCAR®. The official NASCAR® website is "NASCAR® Online" and is located at.. www.NASCAR.com


Look Out NASCAR, Here Comes Tony Stewart

An Opinion



January 30, 2008

By Rebecca Gladden

Rebecca Gladden



It seems two-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart has taken a relatively low profile the past few seasons, especially compared to the volatile relationship he had with the media and the sanctioning body earlier in his career.

Flying under the radar will not be an option for Stewart this year, even if he wants it to be. After his surprise departure from Joe Gibbs Racing last year - the only home he'd known as a Cup series driver - Stewart made the even more surprising announcement that he would be driving for his own race team, now known as Stewart-Haas Racing, in 2009.

That decision puts Stewart back in the limelight in a big way. Recent polls have shown that fans rank the performance of Stewart's new team this year as a bigger news story than Jimmie Johnson's run for a fourth title, the sport's economic woes, and other major issues heading into the start of the 2009 season.

Of course, a certain level of interest would have followed Stewart this year even if he'd stayed at Gibbs. His temperamental nature and wry wit have always made him a media favorite (if not darling), and Stewart rarely disappoints. Whether it's an impatient outburst, a caustic comeback, or a bit of self-deprecating humor, a Tony Stewart interview or press conference is guaranteed to entertain - and entertainment is the name of the game in NASCAR today.

Though much of the focus this year will be on Stewart's new role as a team owner, there remain lingering questions regarding his on-track performance. After winning a second Cup championship in 2005, Stewart's racing results have been hit-or-miss. He failed to make the Chase in 2006, finished out of the top 5 in 2007, and won just one race late in the season in 2008. While young guns like Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards won races and stole headlines last year, fans questioned whether Stewart still has the passion (I don't think his ability is at issue) to contend for another title.

But as far as Tony Stewart's overall resurgence in the sport this year - both as an owner and a driver - I predict we're all in for a heckuva hurricane this year - with Stewart at the eye of the storm.

So hang onto your hats, NASCAR -- and just to get you ready, here's a little sampling of Stewart-style humor gleaned from last week's interviews and press conferences:

Tony Stewart …

  • On NASCAR's rule change allowing him to participate in this year's Bud Shootout: "It's one of the few times that NASCAR changes a rule that I actually like it."

  • On the hardest part of being a team owner so far: "Probably the hardest thing has been learning names of guys. And there are guys that their key code that they have has got their name on it. The hard part is everybody has it at their waist, and you don't want to look down there and give away that you don't know their name."

  • On why he struggles to remember names: "I can't remember what I did two days ago, let alone remember 150 people's names down here yet."

  • On having Burger King as a primary sponsor for his car this season: "(I'm) really excited about having those guys come on, and definitely I've been utilizing my (Burger) King card a lot here recently, so I'm not starving by any means."

  • On whether he's ever watched a videotape of his 2005 Brickyard win: "Oh, God, yeah. Are you kidding me? I've got it memorized."




    You can contact Rebecca at.. Insider Racing News



    You Can Read Other Articles By Rebecca

    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.

  • return to top
    Google
     
    affiliate_link