Tony Stewart was planning to race a sprint car last month. Then fate intervened in the form of rain, which forced the three-time Cup champion to wait a bit longer to return to his roots.
Tony Stewart defends decision to race sprint cars
A happy Tony Stewart is back doing what he loves.
Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
That moment finally came last Friday when he showed up unannounced and raced a 360 winged sprint car at Tri-City Motor Speedway in Auburn, Mich. It was the first time Stewart raced a sprint car competitively since breaking his leg Aug. 5 at an Iowa dirt track.
I feel like there are a lot of other things I could be doing that are a lot more dangerous and a lot bigger waste of time with my time off do than [racing sprint cars]."
What was the outcome Friday? Naturally, Stewart won. He then finished third in a race the following night.
“It was a great feeling,” Stewart said Monday during teleconference with reporters. “It wasn’t so much the win as it was a great feeling to run the whole night.”
When Stewart broke his leg it raised questions whether it was smart for him to continue to pursue a discipline of racing that carried great risk. Three drivers died from injuries sustained in sprint car accidents last year including Jason Leffler, Stewart’s close friend.
Throughout his recovery Stewart was adamant that he would return to his passion and again race. He frequently scoffed at those who questioned the decision, while at the same time worked to improve safety features in sprint cars -- including tethers to the torque tube which caused Stewart’s leg to snap in two places.
“I’ve always liked racing sprint cars and it’s just what I enjoy doing,” Stewart said. “Everybody has hobbies. ... I don’t think there is anything wrong with doing it. I feel like there are a lot of other things I could be doing that are a lot more dangerous and a lot bigger waste of time with my time off do than doing that.”
Having tested a sprint car in May, it was only a matter of time before Stewart took the next step in his comeback. He says he will continue to race when time permits, though with not nearly the frequency as in years past. When laying out his schedule Stewart specifically targeted tracks where the speeds were slower and the chance of injury less.
“There are some races on there that I really have my heart set on running, but I’ve tried to be smart about where we’re going,” he said. “As I said before, we’ve done a lot of things safety-wise in the cars that I feel very comfortable with too. I’m just trying to be smart with the amount of races I’m going to run the rest of the year.”
The triumph began what will be a whirlwind week for Stewart. On Wednesday, Eldora Speedway, the half-mile dirt track he owns, plays host to the Camping World Truck Series for the second consecutive season.
A welcome addition to the schedule, the Mudsummer Classic was the first national touring race in 42 years. In front of a packed grandstand and with much fanfare, the event went off without a hitch. Eldora’s success has even led to speculation that another popular dirt track, Knoxville Raceway, may be in line to stage a national division NASCAR race.
Following Eldora is the Brickyard 400 at the track Stewart cherishes more than any other, Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
A native Hoosier, Stewart grew up dreaming of winning the Indianapolis 500. That dream never came to fruition, though the NASCAR owner-driver does own a pair of Cup victories at the 2½-mile track.
“You always want to win it,” Stewart said. “Every driver has a home race.
“It’s a big deal. It’s always big when you come home. It’s always big when you have friends and family that don’t get the opportunity to go see you race anywhere else, but can be there and be there in person to watch and experience it with. So you’re always going to run well.”
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