The Seventh NASCAR Day of Christmas: Seventh Place for Stewart

Stewart takes a break with the Office Depot Foundation’s 2010 “Teddy B. Caring”
holiday bear. The Office Depot Foundation donates a portion of proceeds from sales
of the bear to help children and families in need around the world.
Photo Credit: MATTER/Edelman for Office Depot Racing

For the second consecutive year as a driver/owner Tony Stewart made the Chase.

Not only did he make the Chase - he cracked the top ten.

Smoke ended the year in seventh spot - with two wins, nine top fives and two poles. He led more total laps than third-place finisher Kevin Harvick. And he notched 17 top 10 finishes to boot.

It took Stewart a little longer to find his groove this year - his first win didn't come 'til Atlanta Motor Speedway in September. 

But in what may have been the highlight of his year, Stewart smoked the field at Fontana, giving him his first win at Auto Club Speedway in 19 tries.

That victory leaves Las Vegas and Darlington as the only active tracks where Smoke has yet to take the checkers.  Not a bad short list for Smoke to tackle in 2011 ...

Fishing for Backpacks

Earlier this week, Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman did what boys do when they have a few hours of down time.

They went fishin'.

On Tuesday, the Stewart-Haas Racing teammates took part in the second-annual Office Depot Foundation Charity Fishing Tournament.

But this wasn't just off track unwind time for the drivers. It was all to raise money for the Office Depot Foundation. In fact, this year Stewart has partnered with the Foundation to help donate more than 300,000 book bags to non-profit organizations and schools that work with children in need nationwide.

“I had a great time fishing and all for a great cause,” Stewart said of his time on the water. “I’ve had a chance to work with the Office Depot Foundation on its National Backpack Program for the past two years, and it’s one of the most rewarding things I do."

I can't vouch for the fact that Stewart reeled in the fish in the above photo himself.  But sources inform me that his team reeled in a total catch of 14.4 pounds, while Newman’s team wasn’t far behind with 9.4 pounds.
 
Photo courtesy of Gort Productions

For the One Who Wears the Firesuit in the Family

Stewart in Office Depot
Foundation firesuit at  Chicagoland
Speedway - photo by Action Sports Photography

Ever want to own your very own firesuit?

Ever want to own your very own firesuit that's actually been worn during a Sprint Cup race?

Well good news - you have until August 23 to place your bid for the very suit Tony Stewart wore during the July 10 Sprint Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway.

Stewart’s No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevy featured a special “back-to-school” paint scheme at Chicagoland, and the unique firesuit and helmet were created specifically for that event.


Both items will be autographed by Stewart, and proceeds from the auction will be used to support The Office Depot Foundation’s award-winning National Backpack Program, which provides new backpacks to schools and charitable organizations that work with children in need across the country.

To reach the eBay page for the Office Depot Foundation firesuit and helmet auction, visit http://www.officedepotracing.com/.

Stewart Gives Back Close to Home

Tony Stewart still calls Indiana home.  And Sunday, this born-and-bred Hoosier will be racing on his home turf as the NASCAR Sprint Cup series heads for the Indy Brickyard.

Before the race - tomorrow to be exact - Stewart will take part in a special charity event close to his home and heart at the Office Depot store in Carmel, Ind.  That's where Stewart will give away 5,000 backpacks to representatives from local organizations as part of the Office Depot Foundation's National Backpack Program. 

Although backpacks will not be given to the general public, Stewart will be signing autographs for 350 fans at the event. Wristbands are required for the autograph session and will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis at the 12417 N. Meridian Street Office Depot beginning at 8 a.m. tomorrow. Fans with a wristband must be in line no later than 3:30 p.m. to receive an autograph. One autograph per wristband.


Maybe this good turn close to home will bring Stewart a hometown win on Sunday.

Photo info: Tony Stewart shakes hands with a backpack recipient at a Back to School Celebration in Chicago on July 8.

Stewart Puts Up the Good Fight

Tony Stewart's a fighter. Just ask any of his competitors, or even members of the NASCAR media. There's nobody like Smoke when it comes to puttin' up a fight or gettin' fighting mad.

Now Stewart is putting his infamous fighting spirit to good use. Today through April 11, Smoke will use his celebrity to help fight cancer.

Now through April 11, Stewart's sponser, Office Depot, will match every donation made to City of Hope – one of the nation’s leading cancer research and treatment centers – dollar-for-dollar up to $100,000.

That's a cause worth getting riled up about.

Visit www.cityofhope.org/fightcancer to learn more or donate today.

Photo info: Tony Stewart talks to fans during a Las Vegas meet and greet.  Courtesy of Edelman.

Tony Stewart - a Teddy Bear at Heart?

Tony Stewart may be a hard-nosed driver on race day, but when it comes to helping others he's all heart.

Stewart worked with the Office Depot Foundation on its National Backpack Program in 2009 and is encouraging NASCAR fans to consider purchasing a Teddy B. Caring this holiday season. The proceeds from the sale of this Gund®-manufactured bear will benefit several of the Foundation's charitable initiatives.

“It has been very humbling for me to be part of the Office Depot Foundation’s National Backpack Program this past year and to see the real impact the program has on kids in need,” Stewart said. “Every child deserves to go to school with the tools they need to succeed and to have that extra boost of confidence in the classroom. I would encourage everyone to consider giving a Teddy B. Caring bear as a gift this holiday season in support of the great work the Office Depot Foundation does all year long.”

The proceeds from the sale of each bear will benefit the National Backpack Program, Caring Connection, Dream UP Career Exploration Program, Follow Your Dream Scholarship Program and 1-888-MY BIZ Help (which helps small businesses recover after disasters).

Teddy B. Caring is available in two sizes – a 9” gift card holding bear and a 16” full-size bear – and is priced at $3.99 and $7.99, respectively. The bear can be purchased at Office Depot retail stores or online at http://www.officedepot.com/.

Photo credit: Action Sports Photography

Tony Stewart - Teacher's Pet?

Tony Stewart took a break from all things Chase-related Wednesday to help the Office Depot Foundation give away another 5,000 backpacks to Charlotte area students. The event marked Stewart's last "Backpack Celebration" of the season. And it also marked two million backpack donations for the Office Depot Foundation.

Although it's surely been a while since Smoke spent time in the classroom, it looks like he was right at home surrounded by school kids and school supplies.

We asked Smoke a few questions about what he was like as a student, back in the day. And here's what what he was kind enough to tell us:

What was your favorite subject in school?
“I liked all of my math classes. In high school, I liked physics and geometry. Those were probably the classes I liked the best. Obviously, I didn’t even realize at the time why I liked them so well, but after graduating high school and moving on, you realize how much you use all of that in racing. Those three subjects were very important and still are.”

Were you ever a teacher's pet?
“I could schmooze some teachers in the past. There were some teachers that I couldn’t get away with anything, but a couple of them, I was able to sweet-talk a lot.”

What kind of a student were you?
“I wasn’t the best student. I didn’t get the best of grades, but it was because I didn’t apply myself. From the time I was eight on, I wanted to be a racecar driver. I didn’t understand how important school was at the time, so I didn’t apply myself as well as I should have.”

Awww...Smoke Gets a Hug

Tony Stewart may be tough as nails behind the wheel of his Office Depot/Old Spice Chevy. But Wednesday in Kansas City, he was all heart.

At an event staged at the Office Depot at North Oak Village Plaza, Stewart joined the Office Depot Foundation for a special "Back to School Celebration. That's where Smoke helped donate more than 2,200 backpacks loaded with school supplies to representatives from local schools and children's organizations. While there, Stewart also signed autographs for more than 300 fans.

One young backpack recipient was so happy with his new school stuff, that he couldn't help but give Stewart a hug.

But I'm not so sure Smoke would want you to see this sweet little photo. Might ruin his tough-talkin' image.