Tony Stewart started the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season not knowing what to expect. Stewart had signed a deal with car owner Gene Haas to become a full fledged owner of Haas’ NASCAR Sprint Cup team. When Stewart picked his new number he went to the legendary AJ Foyt and received permission to use AJ’s #14 in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
Tony Stewart is the modern day AJ Foyt.
Who better to race the #14 than Stewart, who has mirrored AJ Foyt’s drive and passion about racing anything with four wheels. Stewart has won an open wheel championship in Indy Racing League in 1997, the USAC Triple Crown (Sprint Car, Midget and Silver Crown Championships) in 1995 and two NASCAR titles in 2002 and 2005.
Stewart still likes to hop in a sprint car on occasion and 2010 has been no exception. Stewart spent New Years Eve in Australia, racing with his Tony Stewart Racing teammate, Donny Shatz. Stewart didn’t come away with any wins but Donny Shatz won the $50,000 Scott Darley 40 lap main event. The two drove cars supplied by Australian sprint car legend Gary Rush.
Stewart’s first season as owner in 2009 was beyond successful.
In Stewart’s first season as owner, he not only won races but entered the final ten races, as the NASCAR Sprint Cup points leader. The team prior to that struggled to stay in the top 35 in points a year ago. The turnaround was nothing short of phenomenal.
The lack of performance in the final ten races didn’t tarnish what the Stewart Haas team had accomplished. Not only did Stewart make the NASCAR Chase, so did his hand picked teammate Ryan Newman. Newman’s season wasn’t as stellar as his owner’s season but he did make the Chase even though he didn’t win a race.
Stewart racked up four wins plus the All-Star race.
Tony Stewart’s first win in 2009 was the non-points NASCAR All-Star race. Stewart went on to win four races starting with Pocono and then a controversial win at the Daytona 400 in which he turned NASCAR bad boy, Kyle Busch in the tri-oval heading to the checkered flag. The two other wins for Stewart were at the road course Watkins Glen and the third race in the NASCAR Race to the Chase at Kansas Speedway.
Stewart benefited from his partnership with Rick Hendrick.
The connection between the Gene Haas (now Stewart Haas) team with Rick Hendrick has been in place for several years but has never been utilized properly until Stewart arrived on the scene. Stewart embraced his relationship with the Hendrick teams and both teams prospered under the arrangement in 2009. Hendrick’s cars placed first, second and third in the final NASCAR Sprint Cup standings. With the exception of Dale Earnhardt Jr, five of the six Hendrick powered cars made the NASCAR Sprint Cup Race to the Chase.
2010 raises the expectations for Stewart Haas.
Now the question for Stewart Haas is, what do they do for an encore? Now that Stewart entered the final 10 races of 2009 with the NASCAR points lead a third NASCAR title is not only possible, it is probable. Stewart should have the same equipment as NASCAR four time champs, Jimmy Johnson and Jeff Gordon so why shouldn’t he have a chance to knock them off?
Tony Stewart bought his favorite dirt track Eldora.
Tony Stewart’s love of sprint car racing led him to buy one of the most famous dirt tracks in the midwest. Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio is Stewart’s true love. Since Stewart bought the track, he has hosted a NASCAR All-Star event, with all the best NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers, titled “Prelude to the Dream.” All the drivers race for fun and all the money goes to charity.
Tony Stewart Foundation helps over 130 organizations.
The Tony Stewart Foundation goal is to raise funds that will be primarily distributed to three groups – chronically ill children, drivers injured in motorsports activities and organizations dedicated to the protection of various animal species.
The Foundation has awarded almost $4 million to assist charitable initiatives for more than 130 organizations throughout the United States. The prime beneficiary of the Foundation is the Victory Junction Gang Camp, which serves as a year-round camp for children ages seven to 15 with an assortment of life-threatening illnesses. One example of Stewart coming to the aid of a fellow driver was when Tim McCreadie was seriously injured at the Chili Bowl Nationals in 2009. Stewart had McCreadie flown back to a specialist on his private jet and covered all hospital expenses incurred by McCreadie.
sources:
www.tonystewart.com
www.donnyschatzmotorsports.com
www.nascar.com
