Tony Stewart speaks with Ryan Newman at Talladega 2013 (photo credit: Tony Stewart Facebook Page)
“It’s trial and error, but at the same time, it’s like pulling a pin on a grenade. You know through that process that if one guy makes a mistake, your car’s torn up. It’s just a delicate balance of how hard you go, how many things you try, and how much time you spend doing it.” Tony Stewart- pre-spring Talladega team release
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TQMS= The Quotable Mr. Stewart
#14in14 #GoTonyGo #StandWithSmoke
One of the hot topics right now in the NASCAR world is the Sprint Cup season race schedule and how it could be improved. Best I can tell it started with Brad Keselowski coming up with what would be a dream schedulefor him. Then others got in on the opinion making- the most recent of them being Darrell Waltrip during the pre-race show. One thing that both Darrell Waltrip and Brad Keselowski’s schedules have in common is coming to the west coast right out of Daytona, and staying there; lumping Vegas, Sonoma, Auto Club and Phoenix all together in the schedule. It’s almost as if they are just getting us out of the way- and then leaving us NASCAR fans in the west high and dry the rest of the season.
Sunset over the grandstands at Las Vegas Motor Speedway- March 2014 (Photo Credit: Amy K. Marbach)
As a BIG NASCAR fan in that geographic area who has been to all four of those tracks and who has actually even been to all four of those tracks in one year- I can tell you that a schedule like this would be HUGE mistake. I am a regular working girl (and no- this blog is not work- I have a M-F 8-5 job). Lumping the “west coast” dates into one leg of a schedule is a huge mistake because as a working girl like myself can’t afford to take a month off of work to go from track to track- and I dare say most other fans can NOT either. Several fans in this demographic try to travel to multiple races in their area (for instance Vegas AND Auto Club or Vegas AND Phoenix or Auto Club AND Sonoma). (more…)
Tony Stewart, driver of the #14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, and others pit during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway. (Photo Credit: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images North America)
First off- I am going to start with the end of the race: Was that not an exciting finish to the race? It’s too bad that not all races can be that exciting: with four cars bumping and banging and digging hard for the win during those final laps. I am sure more people would watch the races if they were hearing NASCAR fans talking about THAT at the water cooler on Monday. Those last several laps even had me forgetting, if just for a moment, how dismal of a race my driver was having. Of course it didn’t help that my driver’s race was so crappy that during the last 150 laps or so- he hardly said a word on the radio. A quiet Tony? Is usually a pissed off Tony.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Tony Stewart poses for a stylized portrait during the 2014 NASCAR Media Day at Daytona International Speedway on February 13, 2014 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo Credit: Getty Images North America)
“When things are tough, the pressure and the burden is more on you knowing that you’re responsible for everything versus just being the guy driving the car. It’s hard, but it’s also what makes it more gratifying when things go right, and that’s what we’re getting to enjoy right now.”– Tony Stewart, Spring Richmond 2014 Pre-Race Release.
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*TQMS= The Quotable Mr. Stewart
#14in14 #GoTonyGo #StandWithSmoke
Congratulations to Matt Bowling the winner of the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown this year!
Denny’s race supports his foundation’s efforts to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis…which is awesome. Approximately 50 entries battled it out at South Boston Speedway and much like Tony’s Prelude to the Dream some big name drivers were entered including Kyle Busch who was sponsored by Arnette Eyewear and Jegs for the race. Kyle was even sporting the Arnette High Beams at the track! Kyle has won the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown four times- and this time he came in fourth. Denny Hamlin came in 8th. But the real winner was Denny’s Foundation and the Denny Hamlin Cystic Fibrosis Research Lab at Children’s Hospital of Richmond.
(Sorry for the delay in the race report- my laptop’s processor decided to die on me so I am having to update this at work during my break and lunches. I suppose I could use my Kindle- but I find typing on it awkward- like I am trying to text on a giant phone with tiny hands or something. My new laptop should be here around Friday- thank goodness. Wish me luck figuring out Windows 8).
Tony Stewart, driver of the #14 Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet, pits during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on April 12, 2014. (Photo Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images North America)
I really wanted to Tony to win this race- Darlington is one of two tracks that Tony hasn’t won at- so I REALLY wanted him to win at it (the other is Kentucky- if you are wondering). Of course technically I want Tony Stewart to win every race. I am competitive like that and live vicariously through my driver. Unfortunately it was not to be. He qualified 23rd- definitely could have been worse- but it also definitely could have been better. I chalked it up to a bad couple of qual runs and hoped race day would be better.
Tony Stewart, driver of the #14 Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet, speaks with his crew chief Chad Johnston during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. (Photo Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images North America)
Tony Stewart During Driver Intros at the 2013 Southern 500 (photo credit: Tonystewart.com)
“As much as we know about the history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, I think people underestimate how much we know about Darlington and the history of that track, and how hard it is to win races there. I guess that’s why a Sprint Cup win at Darlington is something that’s really important to me.” Tony Stewart- when asked if open-wheel drivers respect the history of Darlington in the SHR Pre-Race release.
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*TQMS= The Quotable Mr. Stewart
#14in14 #GoTonyGo #StandWithSmoke
FORT WORTH, TX -APRIL 4: Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet SS, alongside NASCAR VP of Green Innovation Michael Lynch and ExxonMobil motorsports technical adviser Roger Hood at Texas Motor Speedway on April 4, 2014 in Ft. Worth, Texas. (Photo by Rick Yeatts/Getty Images for ExxonMobil)
In keeping with NASCAR’s efforts to “go green” NASCAR will, with the help of ExxonMobil, begin to convert it’s fleet and service vehicles as well as it’s generators over to Mobil 1 Advanced Fuel Economy and Mobil Delvac 1 LE 5W-30. Fleet cars, transporters and even the famed Air Titan, protector of the NASCAR Universe, will be using Mobil 1 (that’s 65 fleet vehicles and 16 generators).
Global motorsports manager at ExxonMobil, Artis Brown, explained “our line of advanced lubricating oils and greases can help increase equipment operating efficiency and engine fuel economy, and help contribute to reduced energy and resource use, lower emissions, and cost savings for industrial equipment and machinery, as well as passenger and commercial vehicle engines.”
As we fans know- Mobil 1 in one of Tony Stewart’s Primary Co-Sponsors, so he was on hand at the press conference at Texas Motor Speedway last Friday. “After working with ExxonMobil lubricant engineers for three seasons, I’ve seen first-hand how well they know the value of engine oils to fuel economy—whether it’s for me on the track or for consumers driving to and from the track. Since Stewart-Haas Racing and Mobil 1 began our relationship, the entire SHR team has seen improved fuel mileage, resulting in our drivers being able to go longer between pit stops,” owner/driver Tony Stewart explained.
Some pictures from the event: (more…)