Backseat Blonde - Smoke Fires Up for Indy

July 28, 2004

Smoke Gets Fired Up for Indy
By Allison Wagda

For much of this season, Tony Stewart has had to
perform with plenty of distractions. The buzz surrounding
his every move has been loud and consistent, not all
that unlike those irritating high-pitched leaf blowers.
That noise would be enough to disrupt the season of
even the most calm, focused driver.

But Tuesday, Stewart sounded relaxed, confident and ready to put the drama to bed.
Talked to Kahne? Done. Looking forward to the Brickyard in a couple of weeks?
Absolutely.

“Just showing up to test (at Indianapolis) sends goose bumps down my spine,” said
Stewart. “It would be one of the biggest wins of my career, if not the biggest.”

Indianapolis will be a welcome stop for Stewart, a place where he can put aside the
his troubles and simply race. He has a special affinity for the track, as evidenced by
his last-minute attempt to join the IRL’s Indy 500 back in May. When Stewart is even
in the vicinity of the famed Brickyard, he itches to race.

Stewart’s also pleased with the new leadership at Joe Gibbs Racing, calling J.D.
Gibbs “a breath of fresh air.”

But even with the sense of calm surrounding him, Stewart still has plenty of opinions.
He criticized NASCAR’s demand that drivers keep the oversized bottles and other
assorted corporate sponsor goodies on the car, even if the event or series sponsor
conflicts with a driver sponsor. For example, when Stewart won the Tropicana 400 at
Chicagoland a few weeks ago, the first thing he did was sweep the Tropicana bottle
out of the limelight. Why? Stewart is a Coca-Cola driver, and Tropicana is owned by
Pepsi.

“It’s a conflict of interest,” said Stewart. “They’re (NASCAR) playing both sides of the
fence.”

Stewart was more hesitant to publicly criticize the Chase for the Championship,
saying “Whether we like it or dislike it, I’m not sure we can do anything about it. We’ll
just have to wait and see.” Stewart currently sits in 6th place in the points, and as
long as he stays in the top 10 over the next seven races, he’s assured a shot at the
title.

As NASCAR’s reigning “bad boy,” Stewart is having to learn to adjust to being in the
spotlight and having every move hyper-scrutinized and every word analyzed. He
understands the concerns of his sponsors, the desire for growth and ratings, and
what exactly expected of him each week. However, he sounded wistful as he said,
“It’s not just about driving race cars anymore.”

But Stewart’s chance to return to his open wheel roots is just over a week away. It’s
NASCAR racing at Indy, Tony Stewart-style. Game on.

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