Stewart Smoked Up Atlanta/Top Ten Chase Spots Clinched

After several rough restarts and being shuffled back into the field, Tony Stewart was able to rally back during the last restart to capture the checkered flag for the Emory Healthcare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. "I didn't hit a restart all night until right there at the end," Stewart said. "I've never been so happy with a win in my life."

The Chevy Office Depot #14 Pit Crew provided an awesome pit stop that allowed Stewart to leave pit road right behind Carl Edwards which placed him back up front for the contention to win. As a result along with pure determination, Smoke was able to celebrate his first victory of the 2010 season.

It is hard to believe that it has taken this long for Stewart to win one race considering that last season he went to victory lane four times (for points races) - Pocono, Daytona, Watkins Glen and Kansas - plus won the All Star Race as a new driver/owner. This was definitely refreshing to watch because he is one of the most talented drivers in the series.

Additionally, the top ten spots for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chase have been clinched:

1. Kevin Harvick
2. Jeff Gordon
3. Kyle Busch
4. Carl Edwards
5. Denny Hamlin
6. Tony Stewart
7. Jeff Burton
8. Matt Kenseth
9. Jimmie Johnson
10. Kurt Busch

It will be interesting to see how these drivers will race next week in Richmond. Will they go all out for the win? Are they going to try some new set ups? Do you think some of them will play it safe?

Until next time...Gear Up, Strap In For A Thrillin' Ride

*The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer*

PHOTO FROM www.zimbio.com

Read More

Tony Stewart Charms Daytona Fans Even When He Disagrees

Walking by the Chevrolet display at Daytona International Speedway on the Coke Zero 400 weekend, this Skirts and Scuffs reporter was intrigued by the crowd around the Chevy stage. And then, that familiar voice...Tony Stewart was holding court and the fans were listening.

It is no secret that when Stewart is in charge, he is, well, in charge. The familiar smile was evident but so was his confidence as he toyed with the audience and answered the questions his way.

A female took the mike and told Stewart to take off his sunglasses, presumably to see more of his face and eyes. Stewart quickly answered "no" and meant it. He explained that one reason he is 39 and single is because he doesn't like to be ordered around by women. A couple of minutes later he looked at the fan, smiled that smile, and told her he was sorry but he didn't like being told what to do by everyone. The sunglasses did not come off!

Public appearances may have turned out to be the best part of the weekend for Stewart and his Stewart-Haas teammate Ryan Newman. Both Stewart and Newman were collected in the "Big One" at Daytona. Stewart was able to continue but Newman's night was over.

The "Big One" at the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona collected 19 cars.

John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR

Read More

Tony Stewart moves up four spots in NASCAR Chase with ninth at Dover

Tony Stewart made a giant leap in the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings Sunday when he finished ninth in the Autism Speaks 400 presented by Hershey's Milk & Milkshakes NASCAR race at Dover International Speedway.

Stewart finished the previous two races in 23rd and had fallen to 18th in the NASCAR points standings. Sunday's finish moved the Stewart-Haas driver to 14th in the standings, 37 points out of the 12th spot.

Kyle Busch won the Dover race after Jimmie Johnson, who had a really fast car, made a rare error by speeding on pit road. He went down a lap and was not able to regain the lap before time ran out.

Earlier in the week, Stewart and his father participated in a tandem jump with the U.S. Army's Golden Knights parachute team. Stewart called it a thrill of a lifetime. Perhaps the time away from the track relaxing with his Dad helped Stewart regain his focus.

Stewart continues his charitable endeavors tonight when he joins top country music stars in Nashville for the Keep on Playin' -- a Benefit for Flood Relief. Stewart is scheduled to help by answering the phone for the telethon.

U.S. Army Photo shows Tony Stewart in tandem jump with Golden Knights

Read More

Richmond May Not Be Stewart's Favorite Track After Saturday Night's Race

Tony Stewart said earlier in the week that Richmond is his favorite track.  Saturday night, that track was not kind to Stewart as he finished the Crown Royal Heath Calhoun 400 in 23rd place, after struggling all night.

Although Crew Chief Darian Grubb worked tirelessly, the Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet Impala was a handful throughout the 400-lap race around the .75-mile oval.

“We’re just not where we need to be right now,”  said Stewart, who now finds himself 15th in the championship standings with 1,160 points, a loss of one position that puts him 307 points behind new series leader Kevin Harvick.

Stewart fell out of the top-12 drivers to 14th last week at Talladega and dropped one more spot to 15th in the standings with the Richmond run.

Kyle Busch was the winner of the race as he jumped ahead of Jeff Gordon, who finished second, on a late-race restart.

Racing Under the Lights at Richmond

Al Bellow/Getty Images for NASCAR

Read More

I Love My NASCAR Driver(Series)

For us NASCAR fans we have favorite drivers. That driver who makes our hearts race and who make our emotions swirl. No matter how or why we like them, each of us has a special story of how we became a fan.
The first story I got was from Gina whose favorite driver is Tony Stewart. Here's her story:

"Tony Stewart is my favorite driver. I started to like him as soon as I started watching NASCAR, about mid 2007. This may sound weird but the first race I watched was the Pepsi 400 in July 2007, and Tony wrecked out in the early laps. During his interview post-wreck, he just caught my eye. I still can't exactly say why but he did. Ever since, he has been my #1 driver and guy I root for the most every weekend. Obviously as I began watching more races, I saw his talent come out and thought he had tremendous car control and really knew how to drive a car. Besides that, I loved his attitude, especially his sarcasticness. I believe me and him are alike in many ways and that may be one of the reasons why I became a fan of his. He doesn't care what people have to say about him, he is going to be himself no matter what and I love that. I also love everything he does with animals; with helping them and also helping people. He has a big heart, although that may not show during his interviews or during his media obligations (LOL). I'd have to say that "dedicated" is an understatement when it comes to Tony with me. He could finish last every week and I wouldn't care. When he wins or has success, it's the greatest feeling in the world. Unfortunately, I have never Tony but I hope to one day soon." :)

It always helps when you and your favorite driver are alike as Tony Stewart and Gina are. She is also very supportive of Stewart and that is always helpful!

What a fantastic story and be sure to stay tuned for another rendition of, " I Love my NASCAR Driver".

*PHOTOS AND INFORMATION COURTESY OF GINA KELSHAW*

Read More

Tony Stewart Takes Blame for Multi-car Pileup at Texas Motor Speedway

Tony Stewart never takes credit for a good NASCAR run, but always singles out his team and his crew chief for his success.  He also doesn't hesitate  to take the blame when things go bad. 

At Texas Motor Speedway, when Stewart was involved in a multi-car crash, he told waiting media immediately that he took full responsibility for the wreck.

Stewart had been running close to the front when a caution changed the race.  Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon took four fresh tires and Stewart took two. Stewart restarted second and after a restart with 18 laps left, the racing got close.  A nine-car pileup ensued.

Stewart finished the race 32nd and dropped four places in the NASCAR Sprint Cup standing to 13th after eight weeks into the season.

The race marked Stewart's 400th Sprint Cup start and he marked the occasion by starting on the pole, earning his first pole start since 2005.

Tony Stewart won the Coors Ligt Pole Award at Texas 

Tom Pennington/Getty Images for NASCAR

Read More

Stewart to make 400th Cup start from the pole

Tony Stewart will make his 400th Sprint Cup start Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway from a position he hasn’t started from in 155 races – the pole.

Stewart captured the top starting spot with a lap of 191.327 mph, 28.224 seconds during Friday’s qualifying session for the Samsung Mobile 500. This is his 11th Sprint Cup career pole. His last pole came in September 2005 at Martinsville. Sunday will mark Stewart’s fourth top-10 start in 2010.

Sam Hornish Jr. was second-quickest with a lap of 191.232 mph, 28.238 seconds and claimed the outside pole, his best qualifying effort. This is his third top-10 start this year. He qualified third last weekend at Phoenix.

Stewart and Hornish were the only two drivers to top 191 mph during Friday’s qualifying.

Reed Sorenson will make his first Cup start of the season for Braun Racing. The former Richard Petty Motorsports driver lost his ride after the 2009 season due to a merger with Yates Racing and a lack of sponsorship for Sorenson’s No. 43 car.

The Samsung Mobile 500 will be broadcast Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on FOX. Green flag is scheduled for 3:16 p.m. ET.

Starting lineup:

1 Tony Stewart
2 Sam Hornish Jr.
3 Greg Biffle
4 Jimmie Johnson
5 Kasey Kahne
6 Jeff Burton
7 Kyle Busch
8 Clint Bowyer
9 Dale Earnhardt Jr.
10 Ryan Newman
11 Kurt Busch
12 Jeff Gordon
13 David Ragan
14 Martin Truex Jr.
15 Jamie McMurray
16 David Reutimann
17 A.J. Allmendinger
18 Joey Logano
19 Kevin Harvick
20 Carl Edwards
21 Juan Montoya
22 Joe Nemechek
23 Scott Speed
24 Dave Blaney
25 Paul Menard
26 Regan Smith
27 Max Papis
28 Matt Kenseth
29 Denny Hamlin
30 Mark Martin
31 David Gilliland
32 Marcos Ambrose
33 Michael McDowell
34 Mike Bliss
35 Travis Kvapil
36 Bill Elliott
37 Brad Keselowski
38 Robby Gordon
39 Elliott Sadler
40 Kevin Conway*
41 Bobby Labonte
42 Brian Vickers+
43 Reed Sorenson

Did Not Qualify:
David Stremme
Terry Cook*
Johnny Sauter

*Rookie
+Owner points

VIDEO FROM NASCAR MEDIA

Read More

Stewart to make 400th start Sunday

Like Elliott Sadler last weekend, Tony Stewart will make his 400th-career Sprint Cup Series start on Sunday when the green flag drops on the Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. It's been a productive 399 races so far, as Stewart has posted 37 wins, tying him with Bobby Isaac for 18th on the all-time win list. Over the years, he's also posted 145 top-five and 233 top-10 finishes on his way to two Cup titles. Stewart has visited victory lane following a Sprint Cup event at practically all tracks currently on the Sprint Cup schedule. The only ones he hasn't mastered -- Auto Club Speedway, Darlington Raceway, and Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Stewart joined the Cup Series full-time in 1999 to drive the No. 20 car for Joe Gibbs Racing. He remained at JGR as driver of the No. 20 car until an ownership opportunity was presented to him. He became part owner of the former Haas-CNC Racing operation prior to the start of the 2009 season, and the team was renamed Stewart-Haas Racing.

To read the rest of this story, go to Cup Series News & Notes.

Photo of Tony Stewart courtesy of NASCAR Media.

Read More

Tony Stewart goes to Victory Lane at Phoenix as owner of Newman's winning car

Ryan Newman celebrates Stewart-Haas Victory at Phoenix

Tom Pennington/Getty Images for NASCAR

Tony Stewart visited Victory Lane at Phoenix Saturday night but his stay was brief.  He came, not as the winning driver, but as the winning owner.  Ryan Newman took his No. 39 Tornados Chevrolet to Victory Lane for the first win of the season for Stewart-Haas Racing.

Stewart briefly led the race in the early laps but his team was never able to make the adjustments that were needed to keep the car up front.  As the race went from day to night, the car slipped back in the field.  Stewart finished the race 23rd and dropped one spot to ninth in the Sprint Cup standings.

Newman won the race with a combination of luck, a good pit call, and a mistake by Jeff Gordon.  A late-race caution sent the drivers to pit road for tires.  Newman and Gordon took two tires each and the duo re-started on the front row.  A tire spin by Gordon was all Newman needed to grab the lead and get his first victory after 77 winless races.

Stewart was both pleased and frustrated after the race.  "As a driver, I hate the way I ran tonight. But as an owner, I'm very happy for Ryan," Stewart said.

Read More

Tony Stewart second at Bristol after two-tire call on final pit stop

Tony Stewart and the No. 14 team had a busy Sunday making improvements to the Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet.  As the checkered flag dropped on the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway, Stewart followed Jimmie Johnson across the finish line for second place and a great day in the NASCAR points.

“We got us a top-five there and I’m proud of our guys," Stewart said after the race. "It’s fun when you can get a car to drive well here. It’s feast or famine here at Bristol. If your car drives well, it’s a fun, great day. If something’s wrong or you have a problem and you get in the back, it’s a day to forget. Glad we ended up with a good day.”

On the final pit stop, Stewart gambled on a two-tire stop and drove to the front.  Johnson, who took four tires on his final stop, was able to pass Stewart for the lead."We had to do that to get some track position, and I felt like it was a risk worth taking. We just couldn’t hold off Jimmie,” Stewart said.

The good run moved Stewart up three positions to fifth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings, 89 points behind Kevin Harvick, heading into Sunday's Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville.

Sam Greenwood/Getty Images for NASCAR

Read More

It Wasn't Pretty but Tony Stewart Managed to Move Up to 8th in Points after Atlanta

To say that Tony Stewart had an up and down day at the Kobalt 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway would be an understatement!  Stewart qualified 15th, started 41st after an engine change, ran as high as third, went down a lap after a tire problem, and finished on the lead lap in 13th spot.  He also managed to move up three spots in the points to eight place.

Stewart experienced drive train issues during practice and chose to change the engine as a precaution.  It appeared to be a good move when he came out strong as the green flag dropped and quickly moved up in the field. 

Stewart was running 13th at lap 306 when he pitted with a possible tire problem.  After going down a lap, he was able to regain his position and finish the race in 13th spot.  He finished the fourth race of the season in the 8th spot in the Chase standings, 134 points behind leader Kevin Harvick.

Kurt Busch won the race followed by Matt Kenseth and Juan Pablo Montoya.

Tire wear made pit stops important during the Kobal 500 at Atlanta

Chris Trotman/Getty Images for NASCAR

Tony Stewart news at Stewart-Haas Examiner

Read More