Tony Stewart - Not Your Average Poster Boy

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.

Stewart's unyielding - and often fiery - passion for the sport is what draws fans to him like Evander Holyfield to a title fight.

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.

Wonder if he'll have a black eye in the next one?

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

Why Should NASCAR Hire Me? Here Are 10 Good Reasons ...

When NASCAR announced that it was creating a new integrated marketing communications department, my heart gave a little leap.

And when I heard there would be openings in the realm of social media, my heart beat even faster.

So without letting any grass grow, I added social media experience to my resume, uploaded my info. on the NASCAR employment site and settled in to wait.

I've heard it will take a while for NASCAR to fill these new positions, but I admit I'm getting antsy.  You see, when it's a dream you're chasing, waiting just isn't good enough.

Can you blame me for not giving up without a fight?  Did Dale Earnhardt give up on winning the Daytona 500?  Did Alan Kulwicki give up on his 1992 championship?  Did Chad Knaus give up on the No. 48 pit crew? (Okay, so maybe the latter isn't the best analogy).

So in lieu of reciting a laundry list of career history and accomplishments, I give you a few more reasons why the folks at NASCAR should offer me a job. If you agree - please comment, tweet or like on Facebook to your heart's content. 

After all, sometimes dreams need a little help to come true.

The Top 10 Reasons Why NASCAR Should Hire Me

10.  I love the smell of exhaust in the morning.

9.  Even Monte Dutton likes me.

8. I can tweet, blog and Photoshop with the best of 'em.  Plus, I'm crazy good at NASCAR math.

7. The closest I've come to a criminal offense? Crashing driver intros at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

6. Every office needs another redhead.

5. I once shared the stage with "The Godfather of Soul" James Brown.  (This doesn't have anything to do with NASCAR - it just makes me sound cooler).

4. My favorite colors are Lowe's Blue, Amp Green and Office Depot Red.

3. I hail from a long line of rum runners - which is practically the same as moonshine.

2. You'll never catch me giving the "one-finger salute" on national television

1.  I've written nearly 500 blog posts and articles promoting the sport I love, and I haven't made a dime.  Imagine what I could do if I were actually on the payroll?

Stewart Visits Wounded Warriors

Tony Stewart is one busy guy.

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.



Photo credit: Lance Cpl. Victor Barrera, USMC

When Nineteenth Is as Good as a Win

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.”

Smoke Gets Around ...

... well, at least his car does.

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.

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 and Biffle Get Down to Business (Small Business, That Is)

The No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevy driven by Tony Stewart and the No. 16 3M Ford driven by Greg Biffle will both feature a special rear TV panel during this weekend’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway.  The cars will promote the sixth annual “Official Small Business of NASCAR, Courtesy of NASCAR” sweepstakes.

This year’s sweepstakes features a competitive new twist: Two small business owners will be randomly selected as finalists in the sweepstakes, with Stewart and Biffle going head-to-head on the race track to determine their fate during the AAA 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™ race at Dover International Speedway in September.

The small business that appears on the highest-finishing driver’s car at Dover will be named the “Official Small Business of NASCAR, Courtesy of Office Depot.” If Stewart or Biffle should win the Dover race, the small business featured on the winning car will take home $1 million.

To enter for a chance to win, small business owners can simply register online at http://www.officedepotracing.com/ now through July 10.

Both sweepstakes finalists will receive a $10,000 small business makeover from Office Depot and a VIP race weekend experience for two during the September Sprint Cup race at Dover.

Stewart to Support Operation Homefront for Memorial Day

In recognition of Memorial Day, Office Depot® and Lexmark International, Inc. announced a new program in conjunction with Operation Homefront that will provide military families with much-needed technology to help them stay in touch with their loved ones serving in the armed forces.

The program runs from May 30 through June 5. During that time, Office Depot and Lexmark will donate a new Lexmark printer to Operation Homefront, a non-profit organization dedicated to the needs of military families nationwide, each time a customer purchases a Lexmark printer in an Office Depot store (regularly priced at $199.99 and above) or online at www.officedepot.com/lexmark/operationhomefront. Office Depot and Lexmark hope to donate more than 4,000 printers.

To support the the cause, Tony Stewart will sport this special rear TV panel with the Office Depot, Lexmark and Operation Homefront logos, with the message, “Buy A Printer, Support Military Families.” Stewart will run the car at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway Sunday.

Smokes Goes Green at Phoenix

Check out these pix of Tony Stewart's lean green Phoenix machine. Smoke's No. 14 car is "goin' green" for Earth Day - and for a new partnership between his sponsor Office Depot® and EarthEra®.

Stewart will run the special car Saturday, April 10, during the Subway Fresh Fit 600 race at Phoenix International Raceway.

Office Depot's new Greener Shipping Program encourages eligible Office Depot customers to “grow greener” by changing how they buy office supplies. When eligible customers eliminate small orders, increase average order size and help reduce delivery frequency, Office Depot will provide rebates on certain green products and purchase EarthEra products on the customer’s behalf.

To watch the special paint scheme being wrapped on the No. 14 car, check out this link.

Too Sick for Smoke

Imagine my elation when I was given the opportunity to interview Tony Stewart at yesterday's Office Depot appearance in Ormond Beach, Fla.

Imagine my chagrin when I got sick Sunday night with a hacking, snuffly fever that kept me from making the trip to meet Smoke.

I briefly debated showing up sick, but didn't think Stewart would appreciate being exposed to contagion right before the Daytona 500. Not to mention, driving wasn't advised on the meds I've been taking.

Alas, some things just aren't meant to be.

Fortunately, the folks at Edelman/Office Depot were nice enough to provide me with this pic of yesterday's event. Looks like Stewart and his fans were having a good time.

Wish I could have been there!

Get It Together With Tony Stewart

Judging from the photo above, it looks like Tony Stewart hired a stylist during the off-season. Either that, or he's going to update his profile photo on eharmony.

But I digress.

Now that Smoke is in his sophomore year as a Cup team owner, he's sharing a few of his tips for how to get organized before the NASCAR season begins. (Of course, it doesn't hurt that he's sponsored by Office Depot).

Below are a couple of Tony's own organizational hints for budding professionals. Check out the rest on Office Depot's Facebook page.

· I have a frequent nightmare about showing up at the wrong race track during the NASCAR season…so, yes, I WILL take that new day planner, thank you very much!

· Gotta get a new dry-erase board for some very serious race strategy sessions with my crew chief, Darian Grubb. And – you caught me – our occasional game of Pictionary.

· When a computer virus or hard-drive meltdown catches you off-guard, it’s a lot like wrecking your primary race car and then realizing you forgot to bring the back-up car to the track. That said, I’m making it a New Year’s Resolution to back-up all of my important files on CDs and memory cards from Office Depot…just in case.

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.