The Climb
This is the time of year when Tony Stewart begins to kick his performance up a notch. He actually started his championship run at Michigan last year, finishing 2nd, then winning at Infineon and Daytona. The Home Depot team has been extremely strong since the heart-to-heart talk between Tony and the team last year. Personally, I think this is Jimmie Johnson’s championship to lose. Tony proved on Saturday, though, that he will be a factor in the 2006 championship.
What was he thinking?
Tony said during an interview on Speed’s Victory Lane show that he regretted having jumped into the crowd after climbing the fence following his win. “I made a BIG mistake and got down in the mosh pit…I thought I was gonna die in it. No offense to the punk rockers, but I’m never going to a rave party. I’m way too old for that stuff. A fat kid only compresses so far…”. Hahahahaha… He said he thought there was a gate down there, and rather than going back over and down the fence like he did last year, and risk falling on his keister, he’d just jump down amongst the crowd and exit through the gate. One problem…no gate.
I just wonder if he has increased his insurance coverage. That’s all NASCAR needs is for Tubby to fall backwards off the flagstand, splat on the start-finish line on national television.
Look, I like Tony Stewart. When he came into the Busch and then Cup series from the IRL, I really was in his corner. I thought he could be the biggest name in Cup since Jeff Gordon. I do, however, disagree with his tactics from time to time. I think his actions in the Daytona 500 this year, specifically with Matt Kenseth, were completely uncalled for. But I go back to something I heard David Hobbs or someone say during last year’s Rolex 24 at Daytona…that Tony Stewart may be the best pure racecar driver there is today.
I wish there was a way that Tony could do the double on Memorial Day weekend. I really liked it when he ran Indy and Charlotte on the same day. He’s really the only guy that has a real shot at winning both races. But with the schedule the way it is today, it looks like no one will be doing that any time soon.
Congrats to Stewart, and especially to Joe Gibbs. There is not a finer owner in the Cup garage. Yes. he has turned the reigns over to his son J.D. while he coaches the Redskins, but as Joe has said, “My family will alway be in racing. Football is only temporary…”.
We’ll have to wait and see if Tony’s win at Daytona will vault him into the fight for the Nextel Cup Championship. At this point, I think it’s between Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth, with Kasey Kahne having an outside shot. That could obviously change…that’s why we race each week.
See you in Chicago…