Tony Stewart Update

The following was released by Team Chevy

#14-Tony Stewart, met with members of the media at Daytona International Speedway following the first practice session for Saturday's Sprint Unlimited. Stewart discussed how he felt in the car as he climbed behind the wheel for the first time following his accident last season, the transcript in part:
Q) HOW DID IT FEEL?
Stewart: "It felt good. The great thing is there is zero percentage of pain in the car. That was nice. We will see what it feels like at 9 o'clock tonight, but so far so good. That is better than I was hoping for, honestly. I thought we would have some kind of ache, pain of some kind that would bother us. It was like putting on an old pair of shoes again."
Q) IS IT A RELIEF OR ARE YOU JUST OVERJOYED?
Stewart: "Well a little of both. I think once we got the relief of knowing we weren't hurting anywhere then it was just joy of being back out there again. It didn't feel like I had been gone seven months when we started running. It was today though, every five minutes I was looking at the clock from 3 o'clock on going 'is it 4:30 yet' because I wanted to get dressed at 4:30 and come in. That is a long time to be staring at the clock for an hour and a half. That is small compared to the seven months."
Q) DID YOU HAVE ANY THERAPY TODAY OR ANY SPECIAL STRETCHES OR ANYTHING? OR IS IT JUST LIKE A NORMAL PRACTICE DAY?
Stewart: "Knowing you are my back-up guy (referring to an inside joke with reporter Bob Pockrass) I didn't do anything extra. I felt like my back-up guy is on par and ready to go. No, I didn't do anything today."
Q) HOW ABOUT GETTING IN AND OUT OF THE CAR?
Stewart: "Piece of cake. I didn't fall. I think that was what everybody was waiting for. If there was ever a time to not screw up it is getting in the car this time. About 400 cameras there so I didn't want to be the guy that fell out of the car and got on the cover of the paper for that."
(Team Chevy)(2-15-2014)

Do you remember the fancy scooter Smoke drove around the garage area during race weekends?  Check out what he is doing with that thing!!

Stewart Donates Custom Scooter to Darrell Gwynn Foundation: The custom scooter three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion #14-Tony Stewart used to move around following an Aug. 5 sprint car crash that broke his right leg has been donated to the Darrell Gwynn Foundation. Stewart personally donated the scooter, complete with a special paint scheme that mimics the #14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS he drives in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, to the Darrell Gwynn Foundation. The Foundation, in turn, will auction the scooter at the upcoming Barrett-Jackson event April 11-13 in Palm Beach, FL. Stewart signed the scooter, as well as a 16x20 picture of him on the scooter. But in addition to the scooter, Stewart has created an overall package that will accompany the scooter's winning bid. It includes a race-worn Bass Pro Shops firesuit signed by Stewart and a trip for two people to be his guests at the July 3-5 Coke Zero 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Daytona International Speedway. Round-trip airfare, a three-night hotel stay and garage passes will all be covered by Stewart, and two reserved seats will be available on the #14 team's pit box for the winners to watch the Coke Zero 400. To make sure the scooter and accompanying prize package is a strong fundraiser for the Darrell Gwynn Foundation, Stewart will personally match the first $50,000 bid and donate it to the Darrell Gwynn Foundation.(TSC)(2-15-2014)

Sprint Unlimited Fast Facts

The following information was roiginally posted by Jayski.com

• The Sprint Unlimited Manufacturer Recap:
  Manufacturer, Victories, Last Victory - Driver
  Chevrolet, 20, 2013 - Kevin Harvick
  Ford, 7, 2004 - Dale Jarrett
  Buick, 2, 1982 - Bobby Allison
  Oldsmobile, 2, 1980 - Dale Earnhardt
  Pontiac, 2, 2002 - Tony Stewart
  Dodge, 1, 2011 - Kurt Busch
  Toyota, 1, 2012 - Kyle Busch 
• The Sprint Unlimited Tidbits:
  · The number of participants has ranged from a low of seven in 1981 to a high of 28 in 2009 (19 are scheduled to compete in this year's event).
  · The drivers with the most Sprint Unlimited appearances:
  o Mark Martin (24)
  o Bill Elliott (23)
  o Rusty Wallace (19)
  o Ken Schrader (19)
  o Jeff Gordon (19)
  · Mark Martin had appeared in the most consecutive Sprint Unlimited races, competing in 20 consecutive events from 1989-2008. With his start in this year's race, Jeff Gordon, who currently has 19 consecutive starts in the event, will tie that mark.
  · There have been eight multiple winners in The Sprint Unlimited:
  o Tony Stewart has won three (2001, 2002 and 2007).
  o Kevin Harvick has won three (2009, 2010 and 2012).
  o Dale Earnhardt won six events, most all-time (1980, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1995).
  o Dale Jarrett won in 1996, 2000 and 2004.
  o Other multiple winners: Neil Bonnett (1983-1984), Ken Schrader, (1989-1990), Jeff Gordon (1994 and 1997), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2003 and 2008) and Kevin Harvick (2009-2010).
  o Bonnett, Schrader, Stewart and Harvick are the only drivers to win back-to-back races. No driver has ever won three consecutive Sprint Unlimited races.
  · Buddy Baker (1979), Dale Earnhardt (1980), Jeff Gordon (1994), Dale Jarrett (1996) and Denny Hamlin (2006) all won the first Sprint Unlimited in which they competed.
  · Only five times in the 32-year history of the race has the winner gone on to win the Daytona 500:
  Bobby Allison (1982)
  Bill Elliott (1987)
  Dale Jarrett (1996 and 2000)
  Jeff Gordon (1997) · There have been three winners from the pole: Darrell Waltrip (1981), Bill Elliott (1987) and Ken Schrader (1989).
  · Two drivers have swept The Sprint Unlimited, Daytona 500 pole and Daytona 500 from 1979-2012: Dale Jarrett (2000) and Bill Elliott (1987)
  · One driver has swept The Sprint Unlimited, Daytona 500 and the Coke Zero 400 from 1979-2012: Bobby Allison (1982).
  · Seven drivers have won The Sprint Unlimited (1979-2012) and the same season's championship. Dale Earnhardt is the only one to have accomplished it multiple times - four times.
  Tony Stewart (2002)
  Jeff Gordon (1997)
  Dale Earnhardt (1993)
  Dale Earnhardt (1991)
  Dale Earnhardt (1986)
  Darrell Waltrip (1981)
  Dale Earnhardt (1980)
  · Four drivers have won consecutive Sprint Unlimited races (1979-2012). None went on to win that year's Daytona 500.
  Kevin Harvick (2009-10)
  Tony Stewart (2000-01)
  Ken Schrader (1990-91)
  Neil Bonnett (1983-84)

Can Danica Win Or Not?

By Gretchen Mashburn

“He has that old school mentality, that women should be at home flipping pancakes and ironing clothes.”

           

            This was my friend’s reaction when I read her the headline earlier this week. To say Richard Petty said a mouthful would be a huge understatement. The King pissed off more than a few women when the quote hit the internet. I’ll give it to the interviewer; that was a great attention getting headline. He actually said that the only way Danica Patrick would win in Sprint Cup was “if everybody else stayed home.”  The King went on to say, "If she'd have been male, nobody would ever know if she'd showed up at a race track".  This was during his trip to Toronto this past weekend.  He was speaking to wheels.ca, a Canadian automotive website.
         I personally think a lot of women's knee-jerk reaction to the headlline was much like my friend's reaction.  Outrage.  Shock.  Rage.  But, was it true, what Richard said?
        DP only won one race in Indy Car; a fuel mileage race in Tokyo.  She has won zero races in any NASCAR series event.  She finished 27th in points, only two spots ahead of her boss, who missed the last three plus months of the season after breaking his leg.  The fact is that Danica, on paper, is not giving anyone the ammunition to dispute Richard's comments.
       Personally, I think he is wrong about her.  I think she will win.  I think she can run with the boys.  I think Tony Stewart will not let her fail.  I think her two new teammates will provide her with a wealth of knowledge.  I think the fact that she drives for SHR is her biggest asset.  She is in a prime position to win in Sprint Cup.  I think she will prove Richard wrong.  We shall see.