It may be the off season, but don't tell that to Tony Stewart.
During his vacation from NASCAR, Smoke has been driving down under. And if recent reports are any indication, his intensity knows no bounds - no matter when, where or what he races.
And if you're one of Smoke's fearless faithful, you'll want to check out a new offering by his sponsor, Office Depot. Each month, Office Depot will feature a new Stewart poster. Fans can download a coupon at OfficeDepotRacing.com to purchase the posters for just $9.99.
I've discovered that NASCAR is a highly personal sport. Sure, there are the driver feuds, photo finishes and dramatic races that the collective remembers. But the moments that mean the most are those that are yours. That you shared with family. That you enjoyed with friends.
I was fortunate enough to make a slew of NASCAR memories this year. Above are just a few of them.
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 ...
If you're a fan of Tony Stewart, then a little Smoke is never enough.
And while you may be upset that you can't see your favorite driver on TV in the off-season, the folks at Office Depot have something that will make the time between now and Daytona go by a little quicker.
Introducing the 2011 Tony Stewart wall calendar, which is on sale now online and at select Office Depot stores. This pictoral offering features unique photos of Tony that can't be found anywhere else. He’s wearing everything from casual street clothes to business attire to his racing firesuit, like this shot for April:
And then there's this photo featured in March - which looks like something from the cover of a romance novel:
So take heart Smoke fans - there's enough Tony Stewart to last all year long. The 2011 calendar costs just $13.99 and can be ordered at www.officedepotracing.com
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.
The day after Talladega is kinda like the day after Christmas. There's so much buildup to the big event - it's a slow letdown when the party is finally over.
On the day after Dega, you wake up still on an adrenaline high from the sights, the sounds and the excitement. You keep turning on your camera just to scroll through your race photos again and again. You relive and retell the weekend's highlights with your buddies or any poor soul who will listen.
Then you gradually come back to reality as you pack for the journey home, return to work, or stand in an interminable airport security line.
Alas, it's too bad every day can't be Dega.
Personally, I can't quite come to terms with the real world just yet. So I'm sharing some of my favorite photos from this weekend in the hopes they'll help alleviate those after-Dega blues ...
Jeff Burton and the No. 31 crew
await their turn to qualify.
Kevin Harvick laughing it up on pit road.
Jimmie Johnson chats with the boys from ESPN.
I'm still not used to seeing Kasey Kahne in
a Red Bull Racing uniform.
The "Lucky Dog" gets a place of honor
on David Reutimann's No. 00
Best off-track activity at Dega?
Playing "Costume or Not a Costume" -
sometimes it's hard to tell ...
American Idol alumnus Josh Gracin sang a
fantastic National Anthem.
There's always a camera crew following
Kyle Busch and fiancee Samantha Sarcinella
The fans are loving Tony Stewart - this was taken right after
he gave his Coca-Cola to a little girl who was decked out in No. 14 gear.
If fan adoration equaled good luck at Dega, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. would
have led every lap and won by a mile.
Scott Speed and company head down pit
road before qualifying.
The answer is "subtle". The question is
"What is one thing Talladega fans are not?"
SB Nation reporter Jeff Gluck interviews
Clint Bowyer before qualifying.
Stewart holds up a core sample of Daytona International
Speedway's original start/finish line asphalt.
Before heading to Talladega, Tony Stewart stopped by Daytona International Speedway today to help out with the track's repave project.
The driver of the No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet toured the track and joined DIS President Joie Chitwood III in painting the start/finish line.
Smoke also took a Camaro for a spin around turns three and four and into the tri-oval, in what may be the first "test" of the new racing surface.
“I got to rip through three and four and it’s not the same race track,” Stewart said.
“This place is going to have a totally new look and a totally new feel to the drivers and teams. It’s going to be a lot of fun. I can promise you that we are going to fill every square inch of this race track with cars now because we’re going to have that flexibility because this surface is going to be in such great shape when they get done with this last layer.”
The repave project is scheduled to be complete by Jan. 1, 2011.
But Thursday before heading to Martinsville for race weekend, the driver of the No. 14 Office Depot Chevrolet took time out to visit with US Marines at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Below are a couple photos of Smoke's visit -
Stewart greets a wounded service member at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune on Thursday. During his visit to Camp Lejeune, Stewart spent time at the Wounded Warrior Barracks and held a private autograph session for service members at the Camp’s on-site Office Depot ServMart.
Jimmie Johnson played bridesmaid to Greg Biffle at Kansas Speedway.
But his runner-up finish was just enough to put the four-time champ back at the top of Sprint Cup points standings.
Sure, the lead is tenuously slim (a mere eight points over Denny Hamlin, to be exact). But the look on Johnson's face after the race said it all - it's good to be king of the hill, even if you're holding on by your fingernails.
So Johnson is again the man to beat for the championship, but Biffle's surprising Kansas win puts Roush Fenway in good stead.
Early on, Biffle's No. 16 car faded fast - even the boys in the broadcast booth thought The Biff didn't stand much of a chance.
But a lot can happen in the course of a race, and between Biffle and crew chief Greg Erwin, the No. 16 team made all the right calls to turn a lackluster start into a stellar finish.
"About the first half of the race, I didn’t adjust on it really. When I got right behind the 14, really putting pressure on him, I still couldn’t get the gas down. At that point I said, ‘I got to tighten the car up if I’m going to win the race'. If I go backwards, I go backwards," Biffle said.
"We decided to tighten it up and put some wedge in it, put some air in the left rear tire and I think the car really started tightening up. At the next stop I put some more wedge in it. I’ll tell you what, those last two runs, it was amazing. It was literally the best car I’ve ever driven here."
After a killer of a pit stop, Biffle gained the top spot. And his car took off like a rocket, leaving the pack behind.
With today's win, Biffle moved up to eighth in the Chase, just 85 points behind leader Johnson. And Biffle said the team is more motivated than ever to make a title run.
“You know, everybody asked us last week if we’re out of the Chase, have we given up, whatever the case was," Biffle said.
"The 16 team will never give up. We’re just going to approach each race like we did today, qualify the best we can, do the best we can in practice, execute the best we can at the racetrack."
Mike Pagano, owner of PaganoPhoto – Photos by Mike Pagano in Cedar Brook, N.J. (pictured right), poses for a photo with NASCAR star Greg Biffle (center), and wife Gayle Pagano (left) on pit road prior to the start of the Sept. 26 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA 400 race at Dover International Speedway.
Greg Biffle probably wasn't too thrilled with his finish at Dover, but 19th was just enough to give small business owner Mike Pagano a win.
Pagano was one of two finalists in the "Official Small Business of NASCAR, Courtesy of Office Depot" sweepstakes. He's the owner of Pagano Photos - Photos by Mike Pagano in Cedar Brook, NJ and as part of the contest, his business logo was featured on The Biff's No. 16 3M Ford.
And all Pagano needed to win the "Official Small Business" title was for Biffle to beat Tony Stewart (whose car sported the logo of Pagano's competition - Rose Berger, owner of Professional Cleaning Services in Greer, SC).
In the end, Biffle beat Stewart by a mere two spots. But it might as well have been a runaway as far as Pagano was concerned.
"This entire week with Office Depot has been amazing and winning the 'Official Small Business of NASCAR title is just icing on the cake," said Pagano after the race. "This has truly been a once-in-a-lifetime experience and a real honor for my small business."
As finalists, both Pagano and Berger received a $10 thousand small business makeover from Office Depot and a VIP weekend at Dover International Speedway.
If Biffle had won Sunday's race, Pagano would have walked away with a cool $1 million. But who's counting?
Said Biffle, “As a small business owner myself, I wanted to do a great job for Mike. I’m a little disappointed that I couldn’t help him get the big $1 million prize, but I know he’ll put the $10,000 small business makeover from Office Depot to great use.”
Clint Bowyer celebrates his
win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
If Sunday's race at Loudon was the first episode of Survivor, then Clint Bowyer would have the immunity idol and Jimmie Johnson would be in danger of getting voted off the island.
Bowyer took advantage of what turned into a fuel mileage race to take his first checkers since 2008. And, as a result, he rocketed from twelfth to second in points.
Meanwhile, reigning champ Johnson dropped like a rock from second to seventh in points after getting caught up in a mid-pack spin. He ended the day in twenty-fifth spot.
On Survivor, fire represents life. And if that's the case, then Smoke was nigh unto death as his car ran out of gas at the race's end. While Bowyer began his victory burnout, Tony Stewart (the former race leader) was still sputtering across the finish line in twenty-fourth spot.
But beyond Bowyer, there were several other Chasers who managed to outwit, outplay and outlast at Loudon. These are the guys who head to Dover with momentum on their side.
Denny Hamlin took a race that started as a basket of lemons and turned it into a dry citrus martini. His impressive second-place finish was hard fought and well-earned. Talk about an auspiscious beginning for a championship run.
Mr. Consistency and pre-chase points leader Kevin Harvick made good on a bad qualifying run and a faux pas in the pits to leave Loudon in the top five.
And Jeff Gordon, who has had a season of ups and downs, was there when it counted, bringing the No. 24 Chevy home in sixth spot.
Championship contenders Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch took part in a race of a different sort today. And Stewart came out on top.
The race took place at the ESPN campus in Bristol, Conn. where the guys competed against each other with radio-controlled cars on an outside oval track. The trio raced for five laps, with Stewart taking the win. Gordon finished second and Busch came in third after rollling his car while trying to catch Smoke on the last lap.
Guess some things never change.
Highlights of the five-lapper were shown on the network's NASCAR Now.
But this weekend's real deal will take place at at 1 p.m. Sunday when ESPN televises the first race of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship from New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
In the meantime, here are a few highlights from the group's appearance on ESPN's NASCAR Now.
That's Miami Heat guard Kenny Hasbrouck sitting behind the wheel of Smoke's No. 14 Office Depot show car.
Earlier today, Hasbrouck and Heat teammates Patrick Beverley and Dexter Pittman got a peek inside Stewart's car at a back-to-school event at Miramar Elementary School in Florida. The guys partnered with Office Depot to distribute 900 backpacks filled with school supplies to children on their first day of school.
After the beatin' and bangin' on the Nationwide side Friday night, fans were hyped up for a wreckfest during the Cup race Saturday night.
But alas, the Irwin Tools Night Race was more run than bump. And even though Kyle Busch did manage to pull off the Bristol sweep, the race itself wasn't quite the fender-banging, helmet-throwing spectacle that fans have come to expect.
There were several long green flag runs for one. And even when Juan Pablo Montoya sent reigning champ Jimmie Johnson out of contention with an ill-timed hit, Johnson was quick to say post-race that he knew it wasn't intentional on Montoya's part.
And you call this Bristol?
In fact, the most memorable moments happened off the track - and here they are:
5. National Anthem - Bristol does the anthem right. And when the driver/crew kids sang The Star Spangled Banner during Sunday's pre-race ceremonies, even Tony Stewart cracked a smile. From the little boy on the front row who held his ears to the T-shirts wishing Bristol track president Jeff Byrd a speedy recovery, the anthem was a feel-good high point (and thankfully, the polar opposite of last week's drunken rendition).
4. Edwards' Musical Intro - the beloved Bristol tradition of allowing drivers to pick their own "theme song" before they are introduced didn't fail to disappoint. And Carl Edwards wins the prize for most apropros song selection with "Why Can't We Be Friends?" by War - a pointed (and amusing) reference to his long-running feud with Brad Keselowski.
3. Vickers' Revelation - A few hours before the green flag waved at Bristol, Red Bull Racing driver Brian Vickers told the media that he underwent open heart surgery July 12 to repair a small hole in his heart. Vickers, who has been out of the No. 83 Toyota since being diagnosed with blood clots in May, also revealed that he had a stent placed in a vein in his left leg the day after heart surgery.
"I had heart surgery, and I never thought I would never have that at 26," Vickers said.
Vickers told reporters his doctors have cleared him to race in 2011 and he plans to race at next year's Daytona 500. Although he didn't have any comment about what this means for teammate's Scott Speed's prospects next year, the result seems pretty clear. With Kasey Kahne joining Red Bull Racing and Vickers returning, Speed may well be out of a NASCAR ride.
2. Brooms in Victory Lane - Whether or not you're one of his "loving fans," you can't deny that Kyle Busch accomplished an impressive feat this weekend. With his Cup victory, Busch became the first driver to win all three national series in one week. And that prompted his crew to break out the brooms in Victory Lane and do their own version of the "Bristol Sweep".
1. Keselowski Gets Personal - The crowd went crazy when Keselowski took the mic after being introduced pre-race and said simply, "Brad Keselowski, driver of the Penske Racing Dodge. Kyle Busch is an ass." Although the offending word was bleeped out on the ABC broadcast, Keselowski did ask a clergyman's permission before referring to his fellow driver in such terms.
It turns out, Keselowski had an on-track chance to repay Busch for a hit that cost him the Nationwide win Friday night. But Keselowski (who is currently on probation for a dustup with Edwards) settled for racing Busch hard as Busch was trying to lap him, rather than bumping him into the fence. And Busch cruised to the win.
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.
... the folks at Office Depot Racing have rolled out a newly designed web site featuring all you could ever want to know about the No. 14 team and driver Tony Stewart.
The site debut is truly timely. Stewart has an impressive record of wins at The Glen and will start sixth in tomorrow's race.
Check out the new site, which includes interactive Facebook and Twitter links and also an "Ask Tony" feature.
The race at Watkins Glen International Speedway couldn't be coming at a better time for Tony Stewart.
It's a place where Stewart seems to have the magic touch.
Since 2002, the NASCAR Cup series has visited The Glen eight times. Stewart has won five of those contests
In fact, in 11 career starts at WGI, Stewart has emerged victorious 45.5 percent of the time. That's his best win percentage at any track on the circuit.
Most drivers would kill to have those kind of numbers - at any track.
And when you consider Stewart's second-place pole run at Pocono Sunday and his top five showing at The Brickyard a week prior, a good run at WGI by the No. 14 team seems practically inevitable.
Yep, Smoke is definitely catching fire ... and he's my pick to win at The Glen.
Photo info: Tony Stewart chats it up with Mark Martin prior to the April 2010 race at Talladega.
Well, it's official - Jimmie Johnson haters now have one more reason to dislike the four-time champ.
According to research conducted by Joyce Julius & Associates, Inc. — which has monitored every NASCAR race telecast over the last 25 years — Johnson gets more on-air coverage than any other Sprint Cup driver.
Johnson’s name was mentioned more than 2,800 times during the first 18 live event telecasts (and replays) of the 2010 season.
Johnson also appeared in a series-high 32 interviews segments, which collectively added up to more than a half-hour of television face time for the driver.
Not surprisingly, the abundance of attention paid to Johnson by the TV networks helped him amass nearly 22 hours of combined on-screen time for the 58 monitored brands associated with him. Johnson’s brands were also mentioned by him, his crew, or the TV announcers on 95 occasions, helping to bring about an overall in-broadcast exposure value of $48 million.
How did the rest of the drivers fare? You might be surprised. When interviews, on-air mentions and general exposure time are all added up, here are the top 10 drivers:
1. Jimmie Johnson
2. Jeff Gordon
3. Jeff Burton
4. Juan Pablo Montoya
5. Kyle Busch
6. Kevin Harvick
7. Denny Hamlin
8. Tony Stewart
9. Kurt Busch
10. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Anyone else surprised that Carl Edwards and Mark Martin didn't make the cut?
Photo info: Johnson signs autographs for fans before the Bud Shootout in February at Daytona International Speedway.
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.
The Coke Zero 400 is shaping up to be all sorts of good.
Kyle Busch is already causing trouble. He wrecked his teammate and erstwhile "frenemy" Denny Hamlin, Tony Stewart and Reed Sorenson in the last few laps of Thursday's practice.
Bobby Labonte will be making his 600th career start and his first appearance as a Cup race Grand Marshal.
And Goodyear has introduced specially designed tires to show NASCAR's support of the U.S. military.
But even with all the fireworks that are sure to explode on the Cup side, Friday's Subway Jalapeno 250 might steal its thunder.
In the category of a long time coming, the Nationwide Series is going back to the future as the newest evolution of the "pony cars" take to the track. The new Ford Mustang and the Dodge Challenger will be long-awaited eye candy for those fans who have long lamented the lack of brand identity on race day.
And although Danica Patrick isn't on the entry list, another lady is - Jennifer Jo Cobb. Cobb, who has a number of ARCA, Truck and Nationwide starts to her credit, will drive the No. 27 Ford for owner Mike Curb.
Then there's the most photographed car in recent memory - the No. 3 Wrangler Chevy with Dale Earnhardt Jr. behind the wheel. A throwback to one of his father's most famous paint schemes, the car is the result of a three-way partnership between JR Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing and Teresa Earnhardt.
Not surprisingly, fan response to this collaboration has been unreal.
Michael Smith at the Sports Business Journal reports, "Wrangler No. 3 merchandise has accounted for eight of the NASCAR.com Superstore’s top 10 best-selling items and it has led all other driver categories in sales. Within 36 hours of the announcement, Superstore sold out of its second-highest-priced item, a special die-cast car that came in a limited edition of 333, priced at $89.99."
And Friday night under those Daytona lights, the famous No. 3 Wrangler car will receive a worthy salute. Richard Childress Racing is requesting that all fans in attendance stand to their feet at the start of lap three and hold up three fingers for the entire lap.
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