Jeff Gordon on Tony Stewart return: ‘It is great therapy to be in that race car’

As much as it can be considering the circumstances and with the uncertainty of an investigation that won’t be concluded for “at least” two more weeks, one part of Tony Stewart’s life returns to some form of normalcy Sunday night at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

For the first time since Aug. 9, when his sprint car struck and killed Kevin Ward Jr. during a race in upstate New York, Stewart is back behind the wheel. His return follows a three-week absence where Stewart, according to those close to him, was grief stricken.

The return to the public eye came Friday when, during an emotional 2-minute, 30-second press conference, Stewart read a prepared statement where several times he looked on the verge of tears. It was an uncharacteristic side of Stewart few see: vulnerable.

There will, however, likely be no signs of vulnerability Sunday. When the switch is flipped and the engine fired Stewart will be all business for the simple reason that seat of the No. 14 Chevrolet is his sanctuary. Although he may still be grieving, Stewart’s thoughts won’t be on the events that saw Kevin Ward Jr. lose his life, say those who would know best.

“Even if you are feeling pain, sometimes you don’t even feel pain because the focus is so strong,” Jeff Gordon said. “To me it’s about once you get into that car you are not thinking of anything else other than driving that car, and sometimes we all need something like that in life that puts us into that mode.”

Why Stewart chose to return at Atlanta isn’t exactly clear, nor did he elaborate Friday. With an investigation still ongoing, the prevailing wisdom would call for him to stay out of the spotlight until the Ontario County (N.Y.) sheriff’s office can determine whether to press criminal charges.

But it seems that yearning to be back in the environment where he’s most comfortable compelled Stewart to think the time was right to resume driving.

“I miss my team, my teammates, and I miss being back in the race car,” Stewart said. “I think that being back in the car this week with my racing family will help me get through this difficult time.”

It’s as unique a situation as any in recent memory. Only Stewart can say with 100 percent confidence if he’s ready to tackle the challenge, but the early signs indicate he is up to the task -- emotional or otherwise.

In opening practice he was 10th-fastest and in the second session posted the eighth-best average speed over 10 consecutive laps. Stewart qualified 12th, while Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kevin Harvick credited Stewart with sharing knowledge that helped capture the pole.

“It is good to have Tony back,” said Harvick, also a close friend of Stewart’s. “To be able to communicate and talk to him about racing and just see him start that first step of getting back to normal, as his friend, is exciting to me.”

A singular focus and ability to tune out distractions shouldn’t surprise. The ability to move past tragedy has long been a characteristic associated with race car drivers.

When Kyle Petty’s son, Adam, was killed in a 2000 Nationwide Series practice crash, Kyle was back in the car three weeks later. Dale Earnhardt Jr. missed no races following the death of his father on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.

“I think once you get in the car, your mind kind of turns off and you can focus on what you’re doing and how you’re making laps, and that’s really all you think about,” Harvick said. “The hardest part is getting out of the car and having to deal with everything else, and your mind wanders. But inside that race car, there is just something about being in there and being in that zone and not having to listen to anybody else.

“The only people that are talking to you are talking about racing and how your car is handling, and you get inside this zone that you stay focused on and you don’t have to think about anything else. It is therapeutic. It’s relaxing and it’s what you know. It’s what he knows and to be inside that car cures a lot of problems for a short time.”

To explain how a driver compartmentalizes, Gordon offered an analogy.

“The only thing I know how to compare is if you have ever played a really intense video game,” Gordon said. “When you are doing something that you are so focused on that nothing else is coming into your mind. ... That is why I’m not a big video game player, but when I do play video games most of the time it’s just to get my mind off of other things. I find that it’s the closest thing to that as possible.”

With its high speeds and abrasive surface where tire management is critical to success, Gordon feels Atlanta is an ideal track for Stewart to return. Every lap requires utmost concentration and drivers aren’t afforded time to think about anything else. And Stewart isn’t lacking incentive, as a win either Sunday or Sept. 6 in the regular season finale at Richmond International Raceway would earn him a spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, a decision NASCAR announced Friday.

“Here in Atlanta the track is challenging, it’s abrasive, the tire grip goes away fast,” Gordon said. “You are driving that car just about every second -- on the straightaways, obviously, you can relax a little bit, but those straightaways go by fast -- and those are big corners and you have your hands full all the way through the corner.”

Above all else Gordon knows Stewart belongs back on the track.

“I think it is great therapy to be in that race car,” Gordon said.