Races [18+1] that Bass Pro Shops is scheduled to be the primary sponsor in 2013:
Daytona, Budweiser Duel - 2/21
Daytona 500 - 2/24
Phoenix - 3/3
Bristol - 3/17
Kansas - 4/21
Talladega - 5/5
Darlington - 5/11
Charlotte, All-Star - 5/18
Charlotte - 5/26
Michigan - 6/16
Daytona - 7/6
Bristol - 8/24
Atlanta - 9/1
Richmond - 9/7
Charlotte - 10/12
Talladega - 10/20
Martinsville - 10/27
Texas - 11/3
Homestead - 11/17

Races [10+1] that Mobil 1 is scheduled to be the primary sponsor in 2013:
Daytona, Sprint Unlimited - 2/16
Las Vegas - 3/10
Texas - 4/13
Pocono - 6/9
Sonoma - 6/23
New Hampshire - 7/14
Indianapolis - 7/28
Michigan - 8/18
Chicago - 9/15
Dover - 9/29
Phoenix - 11/10

Races [3] that Rush Truck Centers is scheduled to be the primary sponsor in 2013:
Auto Club - 3/24
Martinsville - 4/7
Richmond - 4/27

Races [6] that the team is looking for a primary sponsor in 2013:
Dover - 6/2
Kentucky - 6/29
Pocono - 8/4
Watkins Glen - 8/11
New Hampshire - 9/22
Kansas - 10/6

There are two current race tracks the Cup Series runs on that Tony Stewart has not won at a Sprint Cup race:
Darlington 0 for 20 with a best finish of 3rd in 2009 & 2012
Kentucky 0 for 2 with a best finish of 12th in 2011
After 13 attempts, Stewart won on his 14th try at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, March 11, 2012
After 18 attempts, Stewart won on his 19th try at Auto Club Speedway, Oct 10, 2010
Stewart has won at 20 of 23 tracks he has raced on, didn't win at Rockingham which is no longer active for Cup racing.(6-30-2012)

Stewart has one-two punch at Watkins Glen: #14-Tony Stewart finished first or second in six straight starts at Watkins Glen. That hasn't happened much in Sprint Cup Series history, just 11 times, and only four times over the last 20 seasons:
Most consecutive top-two Cup finishes at a track since 1990
Seasons -- Driver -- Top-twos -- Track
2001-04 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. -- 7 -- Talladega
2004-09 -- Tony Stewart -- 6 -- Watkins Glen
2004-06 -- Jimmie Johnson -- 6 -- Charlotte
1992-95 -- Rusty Wallace -- 6 -- Martinsville
The Record all-time? Richard Petty had 11 straight top-two finishes at Richmond from 1970-1975.(ESPN)(8-12-2009)

Contract Status: Driver: is the owner; Primary Sponsors: Mobil 1 2013; Bass Pro Shops ?

Zipadelli says Cars to Blame: Greg Zipadelli, the competition director at Stewart-Haas Racing and longtime confidante of Tony Stewart, said the team has fallen behind on technology relative to the top NASCAR Sprint Cup teams. Zipadelli said the combination of adding a third car for Danica Patrick, converting to the new Generation-6 cars and shuffling personnel internally has left SHR well behind top teams like Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports so far this season. Coming into Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, #39-Ryan Newman is 17th in points, #14-Stewart 21st and #10-Patrick 28th. Thursday night, Newman qualified 10th for the Coca-Cola 600, with Patrick 24th and Stewart 25th.(full story at SPEED)(5-25-2013)

No crew chief changes for Stewart Haas Racing: Despite a dismal season to date, there are no crew chief changes planned at Stewart-Haas Racing [#10-Patrick, #14-Stewart & #39-Newman], a high-ranking team official told SPEED.com Monday morning. "We've all won races together and championships together, we're going to pull ourselves out of this together," the team official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. After Saturday night's Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, team co-owner Tony Stewart spent nearly two hours in the team hauler, meeting with crew chief Steve Addington and team engineers to work on solving the team's handling issues. "Every team goes through this at one point or another. We'll get through it," the SHR team person said.(SPEED)(5-21-2013)

State Water Heaters Partners with Stewart-Haas Racing: State Water Heaters, a leading manufacturer of commercial and residential water heaters, has joined Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), the title-winning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team co-owned by three-time Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart. Effective immediately, State Water Heaters will be an associate sponsor of the #14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevy driven by Stewart and the #39 Quicken Loans Chevy driven by teammate Ryan Newman. Additionally, State Water Heaters will serve as the primary sponsor of Newman and the #39 team during the Goody's Fast Relief 500 Sprint Cup race weekend Oct. 25-27 at Martinsville Speedway.
"The State Water Heaters brand has a rich history in the plumbing industry, and over that time we've developed strong partnerships with our wholesalers and contractors. We're thrilled to join SHR where we're able to share the excitement of this program with our customers," said Jeff Storie, senior marketing manager, State Water Heaters. "We've recently launched some great new water heaters, as well as a new Find a Local Installer tool on our Website. We look forward to working with Ryan, Tony and the rest of the SHR team to raise awareness among the legions of NASCAR fans about State brand products and our loyal contractors."
For more than 60 years, State Water Heaters has stood for durability. Tested under the toughest conditions in the most hostile environments, State Water Heaters builds long-lasting products that provide years of service. Motorsports also provides tough conditions and hostile environments, making State Water Heaters' presence in NASCAR a natural fit. The Ashland City, Tenn.-based company has sponsored NASCAR teams since 2006, and it enters a new era by partnering with SHR.
"We're very proud to welcome State Water Heaters into the Stewart-Haas Racing family," said Stewart, who co-owns SHR with Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation, the largest CNC machine tool builder in the western world. "State Water Heaters is an innovative company that prides itself on quality and customer service. Just as they deliver for their customers, we plan to deliver for them  on the track and off. It's a strong brand that through its partnership with our race team will become even stronger."(SHR)(5-16-2013)

Stewart thinks Kurt Busch could make Indy 500: Consider Tony Stewart officially jealous that fellow NASCAR driver Kurt Busch gets to test an Indy car at Indianapolis Motor Speedway later this week. The five-time Indianapolis 500 starter said that he plans to call Busch "to see if there's anything I can do to help him." "There's not a doubt in my mind that he could make the (500's) field," Stewart said following a sponsor event at the garage where he stores his classic cars. "If he gets with the right team  and obviously he's going with Andretti  I don't see any problem making the starting field for sure." Busch isn't targeting this month's 500, but he has told reporters he's open to pursuing a ride next year if all goes well with this test.(Indianapolis Star)(5-9-2013)

#4 for Harvick in 2014? Stewart-Haas Racing has applied for the trademark for the (4) Standard Character Mark or the #4. Supposedly to be used by Kevin Harvick when he moves over to Stewart-Hass Racing in 2014. You can see the trademark application / info at uspto.gov (do a search under Stewart-Haas). Other rumored numbers for Harvick at Stewart-Hass Racing: take the #29 with him from Richard Childress Racing with RCR using the #3 for Austin Dillon. Have heard some rumors the #8 could be in play.(4-30-2013)

Tony Stewart discusses blocking: #14-Tony Stewart addressed the media Friday at Martinsville:
DO YOU STILL FEEL THE SAME WAY YOU DO ABOUT BLOCKING?
"Yeah, my stance has never changed about blocking. Everybody has got a different opinion. I know the last two weeks everybody has tried to make a comparison to the Talladega deal. Talladega is a little different deal than the rest of it. I don't like it at Daytona and Talladega either, but it's the position we are put in there. What happened at California is a different deal. The people that are trying to compare the two are people that honestly I've read who has written it. It's disappointing that they don't understand the sport any better than that, but there is a huge difference between the two. It's our jobs as drivers to go out there and try to pass people. That is what racing is about. We didn't have blocking 10 years ago. I don't know where all of a sudden it became a common deal or some people think it's alright to do now and think it's common practice. I don't believe in it. I don't believe it should be common practice."
AT RESTRICTOR PLATE TRACKS IT'S A NECESSARY EVIL?
"We don't have a choice. We can't even get away from each other there. It's not so much that you are trying to block as much as you are trying to make that guy that you are trying to get in front of push you. We don't have the luxury of running on our own there. You have to have somebody pushing you. So if there is a line coming you want that faster line to pick you up and push you. The last half of a lap at Talladega is different than a restart with 15 to go at California."
WHY DO YOU THINK BLOCKING HAS INCREASED?
"I don't know. I hope you guys can tell me. I don't understand it either. I have never agreed with it. I don't like it. For some reason it's getting increasingly worse. I don't know why that is, but it is."(Chevy PR)(4-6-2013)

No penalties from Auto Club Speedway UPDATE: Kerry Tharp, NASCAR Director of Communications, tweeted Tuesday, "NASCAR will issue no penalties from last weekend's events at [Auto Club Speedway]".(3-26-2013)
UPDATE: Sprint Cup Series director John Darby addressed the media Tuesday afternoon and discussed the decision to not issue fines;
Q. Going back to the decision not to penalize anybody there, Stewart did cut off Logano on pit road, and started an incident there. Can you tell me why the governing body decided there was nothing wrong there?
JOHN DARBY: Yeah, all of the post-race incidents, a few years ago, we backed away from micromanaging drivers' emotions. You would hope in today's world that if somebody didn't win a race, they would be upset about it for whatever reason. That's what our drivers do is they try to win races. So the emotions that follow a race sometime, as long as stuff -- and keep in mind, there's the checks and the balances, but a couple of drivers at the end of the race arguing a little bit doesn't create a foul in our world today. The crews did a great job of managing their drivers to make sure that it didn't cross the line to where there was physical violence or anything like that, and that's what you would hope. That's just another example of the state of competition in NASCAR racing, and the disappointments that come sometimes when you don't win the race. I don't see any foul there at all.(NASCAR)(3-27-2013)

Stewart-Logano conflict upstages Hamlin-Logano feud: After trading barbs on Twitter a week ago, #11-Denny Hamlin and #22-Joey Logano actually traded paint on Sunday, throwing away their chances to win the Auto Club 400 by banging each other into oblivion on the final lap at Auto Club Speedway. But it was Logano's row with #14-Tony Stewart that led to the most heated exchange of the season so far, first as Stewart tried to get a piece of Logano on pit road and later as the three-time champion roasted the 22-year-old with criticism that turned very personal.
The Hamlin-Logano feud, which began last week at Bristol when Hamlin's attempted bump-and-run sent Logano's Ford spinning into the wall, escalated at Fontana, as Hamlin drove to the outside of Logano to start the final lap and the drivers traded shots until they wrecked in Turn 3 -- to the benefit of Kyle Busch, who was running third at the time and won the race. Logano was credited with a third-place finish, but Hamlin's car slammed nose-first into the inside wall. Hamlin was airlifted to a local hospital for precautionary evaluation.
But it was Logano's block of Tony Stewart on the final restart on Lap 190 that had Stewart seething after the race, to the point where he nosed in front of Logano's car on pit road (stopping its progress), climbed out and confronted the young driver before crew members intervened. Logano acknowledged that the block was a deliberate attempt to win the race.
"I had to throw the block there," Logano said. "That was a race for the lead. I felt if the 14 (Stewart) got underneath me, that was going to be the end of my opportunity to win the race, so I was just trying to protect the spot I had. I was actually pedaling, because I couldn't keep the 18 (race leader Kyle Busch) aligned (in front of Logano's No. 22 Ford, as the rules require on a restart). I was actually faster than the 18 getting our tires hooked up. And then I'm trying to stagger myself making sure I don't beat him to the line, and then I had to block the 14 because I was pedaling it. I'll talk to him and we'll see what happens."
Stewart was having none of it.
"He's going to learn a lesson," Stewart said. "He's run his mouth long enough& He's nothing but a little rich kid who's never had to work in his life, so he's going to learn what us working guys who had to work our way up& how it works. He has the choice to do that. He's in control of his car. But if he ever turns down across in front of me again -- I don't care what lap it is -- he won't make it through the other end of it& I'm tired of these guys doing that stuff, especially out of a kid that's been griping about everybody else -- and then he does that the next week& send Denny to the hospital and screw our day up. He's talked the talk, but he hasn't walked the walk yet. He's always got his crew guys walking the walk for him."(NASCAR Wire Service)(3-25-2013)

Penske defends Logano: Team owner Roger Penske staunchly defended #22-Joey Logano after his Sprint Cup driver was involved in a pair of controversies near the end of Sunday's race at Auto Club Speedway. "I'm 150% behind my driver, and I think he's a real star on the team," Penske told USA TODAY Sports in a phone interview Sunday night after returning to his home in Michigan. Logano wrecked with Denny Hamlin while racing for the lead in a final-lap incident that sent Hamlin to the hospital for overnight observation after his #11 Toyota sustained heavy right-front impact with an inside wall not covered by a SAFER barrier. Tony Stewart confronted Logano after the race because he was upset with being blocked on the bottom lane in the closing laps. "It's time he learns a lesson," Stewart said. "He's run his mouth long enough and done this double standard, but he's nothing but a little rich kid who has never had to work in his life." Racing for the lead on a restart with 10 laps remaining, Stewart felt that Logano blocked him low, forcing Stewart's Chevrolet all the way to the inside apron. The momentum shift ended up thwarting what looked to be Stewart's best finish of the season, and after drifting back, Stewart finished all the way back in 22nd place. "He has that right, he has the choice to do that. If he ever turns down across in front of me again, I don't care what lap it is, he won't make it through the other end of it," Stewart said.(USA Today))(3-25-2013)

2012 Auto Club winner Stewart to Walk of Fame: Last year's Auto Club 400 winner #14-Tony Stewart made a return trip to the Walk of Fame on Friday commemorating his 2012 victory at the Auto Club Speedway. "It feels great to be back here," said Stewart, who also was bestowed the honor back in 2011 following his October of 2010 win at Auto Club Speedway. "I love this track and racing here. This makes it a lot of fun when you can win and then get recognized for it like this." Stewart, 41, was presented with a plaque by Speedway Vice President Dave Allen and then stepped in the concrete and signed his name and number as a large crowd of his fans cheered him on. Last March, Stewart won his second race of the year capturing the rain-shortened 16th annual Auto Club 400 after 129 laps were completed. Located at Gate 12, on the east end of the FanZone, the Auto Club Speedway Walk of Fame ceremony has become a fan-favorite event.
Stewart joins other past ACS winners Kevin Harvick (2011), Jimmie Johnson ('02, '07, '08, '10), Jeff Gordon ('97, '99 & 04), Mark Martin ('98), Jeremy Mayfield ('00), Rusty Wallace ('01), Kurt Busch ('03), Elliott Sadler ('04), Kyle Busch ('05), Greg Biffle ('05), Matt Kenseth ('06, '07 & '08), Kasey Kahne ('06) and Carl Edwards ('09, '10) as NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers to be enshrined at the speedway's Walk of Fame.(ACS)(3-23-2013)

New sponsor for Stewart debuts at Auto Club: Rush Truck Centers makes its sponsorship debut during this weekend's Auto Club 400 where the premier solutions provider to the commercial vehicle industry will serve as the primary sponsor for the #14 Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) team and driver/owner Tony Stewart. It's the first of three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in which Stewart will carry the colors of Rush Truck Centers in the capacity of primary sponsor for the #14 team. Rush Truck Centers is the United States' largest network of commercial vehicle dealerships, representing industry-leading truck and bus manufacturers (SHR), see images of the scheme on the #14 Team Schemes page.(3-20-2013)

Earnhardt Jr., Kahne and Stewart to guest on The Cleveland Show UPDATE: NASCAR stars #88-Dale Earnhart Jr., #5-Kasey Kahne and #14-Tony Stewart will guest-voice on Fox's The Cleveland Show next season. In the episode, Cleveland (voiced Mike Henry) convinces Donna (voiced Sanaa Lathan) to lighten up and have a few drinks when she takes her run for local office way too seriously. "Unfortunately, they party way too hard - and wake up on the infield of a NASCAR track. It's up to guest stars Earnhardt, Jr., Stewart and Kahne to race Donna and Cleveland home," executive producer Rich Appel says.(TV Guide)(4-27-2012)
UPDATE: are scheduled to be voicing their characters' roles on Fox is scheduled to air "The Cleveland Show" on Sunday, March 17th at 7:30 pm/et in which NASCAR drivers #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., #5-Kasey Kahne and #14-Tony Stewart are featured.(Charlotte Observer)(3-15-2013)

Stewart visits fans in hospital: #14-Tony Stewart visited six NASCAR fans who were injured Saturday during a horrific wreck on the last lap of the NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Daytona International Speedway. Stewart was present at Halifax Health Medical Center Sunday after the Daytona 500 for more than two hours, according to a Stewart Haas Racing spokesman. He arrived at approximately 8:00pm and stayed just past 10:00 pm. Stewart did not want to be acknowledged for the deed, but when ESPN.com learned he had visited the injured fans, his team confirmed the visit with his blessing. The three-time champion met with each patient individually, and interacted extensively with five of them. He gave each a personalized, autographed Bass Pro Shops #14 cap. It was Stewart's decision alone to visit the fans, the spokesman said. He wanted to do it, and charged his team with coordinating logistics.(full article at ESPN.com)(2-26-2013)

Rush Truck Centers to sponsor Stewart in three races: Rush Enterprises, which operates the largest network of commercial vehicle dealerships in North America, will be the primary sponsor of Tony Stewart and the #14 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team of Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) for three Sprint Cup races with its Rush Truck Centers brand. Rush Truck Centers will adorn the hood of the #14 Chevy March 24 at Auto Club Speedway, April 7 at Martinsville and April 27 at Richmond. When not serving as the primary sponsor, Rush Truck Centers will be an associate sponsor on the #14 Chevy with placement on the B-pillar and lower-rear quarterpanel.
"We've been doing business with Rush Truck Centers for years. It's an established relationship that will now have a much higher profile thanks to their decision to become a primary sponsor with the #14 team," said Stewart, co-owner of SHR with Haas Automation founder Gene Haas. "Rush Truck Centers keeps our trucks and transporters in great condition, and you could argue those are the most important parts of our race team. Without them, our cars never get to the racetrack. The employees of Rush Truck Centers are as detail-oriented as we are, and they play a critical role in the success of our race team."
"Rush Truck Centers is extremely proud to increase our partnership with Stewart-Haas Racing by becoming a primary sponsor of Tony Stewart and the No. 14 team," said Rusty Rush, president and chief executive officer, Rush Enterprises, Inc. "We've been a part of Stewart-Haas Racing since 2010. They have a championship culture based on winning, with the same passion and drive we have at Rush Truck Centers. Many of our customers and employees are NASCAR fans, so expanding our relationship with Stewart-Haas Racing makes business sense, now and for the future."(SHR)(2-23-2013)

Stewart-Haas adding test team: Stewart-Haas Racing is developing a new test team. Veteran crew chief David Hyder will oversee the project. "I'm planning on taking the wheels off of my pit box for a while," Hyder said Friday. "With the new car coming this season, they'd been talking about putting a test team together. I'm not sure what all it will entail yet, but Zippy (Stewart-Haas Racing Director of Competition Greg Zipadelli) told me to plan on going to Daytona." In the advent of the Generation 6 car, NASCAR's top organizations are doing whatever it takes to get up to speed quickly. Although SHR has a research and development group, the test team is the latest response to up the ante. Considering that SHR is expanding its two-car operation of Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman to add rookie Danica Patrick, the timing is perfect. Hyder started working at SHR on Tuesday. He most recently guided Cale Conley in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East but missed the competition at the Cup level. Hyder had previously worked as a crew chief for Wood Brothers Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing and Kevin Harvick Inc.(Fox Sports)(2-2-2013)

Harvick confirmed out of RCR after 2013: NASCAR team owner Richard Childress confirmed what driver Kevin Harvick would not since November 2012. Harvick will leave Childress, where he has been since his first Cup race in 2001, and drive for friend and team owner Tony Stewart at Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014. Childress, who spoke Monday night at NASCAR's Sprint Cup Media Tour, talked about knowing about Harvick's plans last year before the race at Phoenix International Raceway -- a race Harvick would win to snap a 44-race winless streak. "We had a meeting and he told me his plans and we discussed what we were going to do in '13," Childress said Monday. "He'll do well over there at Stewart-Haas, and RCR will keep going and moving forward. I think him and Tony will have a good relationship." Stewart, who spoke to the media earlier Monday about his three-car team that includes Ryan Newman and Danica Patrick, has hinted at adding a fourth car to the Stewart-Haas Racing stable. Harvick, meanwhile, told reporters he didn't have "anything to tell you for 2014." On Monday, Childress said he did not know whether sponsor Budweiser would leave RCR along with Harvick. "They haven't made any comments on what they're going to do," Childress said. Though Childress admitted he knew Harvick's plans before Phoenix, he said he was surprised when word leaked out because he didn't expect it to be released until after the postseason awards banquet. As for the future, Childress welcomes grandson Austin Dillon into the fold this season. Dillon is slated to race the Daytona 500, among a handful of other Cup races. Burton and Menard are signed through 2013.(in part from the USA Today)(1-22-2013)

Stewart Haas Racing Notes from the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour: #10-Danica Patrick will not be using #14-Tony Stewart's owners points to start the year. Stewart said, "I worked hard for my points" and believes Patrick will be fine. The #10 team finished the 2012 season 33rd in owners points but been told those owners points will be used for Tommy Baldwin's #7 team with driver Dave Blaney. Baldwin will use the #36 owners points for his 2nd team, car #36 [unknwon driver/plans]. So the #10 car goes into the season with no owners points and Partick will have to make the races via speed. There is no top-35 or guaranteed spots in 2013, but owners points will used for 6 cars each race for provisional starting spots 37th thru 42nd and poosibly the 43rd spot.
Patrick has not finalized a deal to run any Nationwide Series races in 2013 but is hoping to do a 10 race deal with Turner Scott Motorsports.
As for Stewart running the 2013 Indy 500 for Penske Racing, he has open invitation for Indy 500 from Roger Penske, but has no plans to do so in 2013.
On the sponsor front for SHR the #14 has nine races open without a primary, the #39 of Ryan Newman has 8-9 races open for a primary sponsor and #10-Patrick has three racesopen for a primary sponsor.
Stewart said the Eldora Speedway Truck Race that will run on the dirt, is close to a sellout, with 16,000 reserved seats sold and about 600 left with 1000 general admission going on sale this week.(1-21-2013)

Kevin Swindell wins Chili Bowl; Stewart 15th: It took 25 years for a driver to win back to back Lucas Oil Chili Bowl National titles. Ever since then, that same name has stood atop the podium without fail as Kevin Swindell continued his family's Chili Bowl dynasty this past Saturday night with his fourth Golden Driller in as many years. With the victory, the combined Swindell total stands at nine. Kevin Swindell capped off a perfect week having won every race he entered with Sammy Swindell earned the runner up spot for the third year in a row. Brad Sweet, after challenging earlier for the runner up spot, settled for third with Tim McCreadie fourth and Dave Darland climbing from eleventh to complete the top five. Jerry Coons, Jr. advanced eight spots to finish sixth with Shane Golobic coming from sixteenth to seventh. Bryan Clauson improved a dozen spots to eighth with Billy Wease posting his best A-Feature finish of ninth while earning the Hard Charger of the Race, coming from his twenty-second starting spot. Cory Kruseman round out the drivers in the top ten. Tony Stewart finished 15th and J.J. Yeley finished 19th in the 24 car field. In all 268 competitors from 32 states including Canada, Australia, and Finland competed in the 2013 Chili Bowl.(see more at chilibowl.com)(1-14-2013)

2013 silly season notes for #14-Tony Stewart / Stewart Haas Racing: Office Depot left the sport and the #14 team after the 2012 season. Bass Pro Shops will be the primary for three-time champ Tony Stewart for 18 races in 2013 with Mobil 1 staying aboard and being the primary for 11 races. Nine races are still unsponsored for the #14. Steve Addington returns as the crew chief in 2013. SHR expands to three full time teams with Danica Patrick running the full season in 2013. SHR could become a four car team in 2014 with Kevin Harvick already signing to move from Richard Childress Racing AFTER the 2013 season. #39-Ryan Newman is signed thru 2013 and could return if sponsorship is found. See more about other teams on my 2013 Team / Driver Silly Season Chart.(1-5-2013)

Stewart to run the Chili Bowl: Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) announced that three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion #14-Tony Stewart has joined the star-studded field of entrants for the 27th annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals presented by General Tire at the Tulsa (Okla.) Expo Center, which kicks off Tuesday, Jan. 8 and concludes Saturday, Jan. 12. Stewart finished 10th in last year's finale after not participating in the event for three consecutive seasons (2009-2011). This year, he returns to action in the TSR #14 Chevrolet Performance/Spike/Chevy in the most prestigious Midget race of the year. The annual Chili Bowl, which takes place inside the typically fan-packed confines of the QuikTrip Center's Tulsa Expo Raceway, will see Stewart and more than 200 drivers attempt to qualify for one of the coveted spots in Saturday's 50-lap A-Main finale. Each driver will participate in a qualifying program and accumulate points.(TSR), some other drivers with NASCAR connections include: J.J. Yeley, Bobby East, Cole Whitt, Dakoda Armstrong, Tracy Hines, Justin Allgaier, Billy Pauch, Kevin Swindell, Bryan Clauson, Tim McCreadie, Brad Sweet, A.J. Fike, Kyle Larson, Tyler Walker, Brad Noffsinger, P.J. Jones.(12-26-2012)

Stewart wins POWRi Midget Battle: Tony Stewart returned to his short-track roots Saturday, winning the feature in the third annual Battle at the Center on the one-sixth mile indoor Mini Magic Mile at the Southern Illinois Center. The 41-year-old from Columbus, Ind., led all 40 laps in the non-points event organized and sanctioned by the POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series. It had 67 entries and brought together many of the best drivers in Midget racing and several more major short-track series. Andrew Felker of Carl Junction, Mo., this season's POWRi National Midget champion, finished second and POWRi veteran Tim Siner of Dupo, Ill., was third. Stewart won USAC Midget championships in 1994 and 1995 and was USAC's Triple Crown (also taking the national Sprint Car and Silver Crown) champion in 1995 before moving on to win titles in the IZOD IndyCar title in 1997 and NASCAR Sprint Cup in 2002, 2005 and 2011. "It was a lot of fun," Stewart said. "I was happy with it. We heard this was a good event last year and decided to run it to get ready for the Chili Bowl (run in Tulsa, Okla., Jan. 8-12). We didn't run very good in the Chili Bowl last year. We built the car to the same design that I drove in John Godfrey's Stealth in 1995."(Poweri Racing)(12-17-2012)

Stewart would like to drive Aussie V8 Supercar: #14-Tony Stewart expressed his desire to race a V8 Supercar at the unveiling of the 2013 Chevrolet SS which is based heavily on the next generation Holden VF Commodore. At the bells and whistles launch in Las Vegas Stewart told Speedcafe that he has been approached several times by Paul Morris to have a crack at a V8 Supercar in the shared driver races. "Paul Morris keeps inviting me out to have a go in one. I don't know if Austin would work but I would love to have a chance to drive one. I'd love the opportunity to get behind the wheel of one," Stewart said. V8 Supercars will race Stateside for the first time at the Texas 400 meeting at Austin's critically acclaimed Circuit Of The Americas track from May 17-19 next year. The category has yet to show its hand on what the format of the races will be and whether it will explore the possibility of shared driver races. The Austin meeting clashes with the NASCAR Sprint Showdown at Charlotte Motor Speedway.(Speed Cafe)(12-9-2012)

Penske offers Tony Stewart Indianapolis 500 ride: UPDATE 2: If Tony Stewart wants to run the Indianapolis 500 next season, Roger Penske will give him a car. Penske twice Friday night offered Stewart the chance to enter next year's race and insisted he's serious about the opportunity. "Where's Stewart?" Penske asked during his speech accepting the Sprint Cup trophy during NASCAR's season-ending awards ceremony. "How about doing the double at Indy this year? You available?" The banquet room at Wynn Las Vegas Resort broke out into laughter, but Penske later insisted he was serious. "If he wants to do the double, I'd put him in it," Penske said. "We've talked about it before. I guess I made it official tonight." Stewart was not immediately available for comment.(in part from the Associated Press)(12-2-2012)
UPDATE: #14-Tony Stewart has passed up a chance to race for Roger Penske in the Indianapolis 500. The three-time NASCAR champion said Wednesday at the International Motorsports Industry Show that he wouldn't attempt to race in both the Indy 500 and NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. Penske extended the invitation last week in Las Vegas while accepting the Sprint Cup trophy. Later, when given the chance to shrug it off as a lighthearted moment with Stewart, Penske insisted he was very serious. There has been a push to get Stewart to race in Indianapolis since Penske made the offer, with Indianapolis Motor Speedway starting an online petition for fans to encourage the driver to accept the ride. The Indiana native twice ran both the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. In 1999, he was ninth at Indy and fourth at Charlotte, and in 2001, he was sixth at Indy and third at Charlotte.(Associated Press)(12-5-2012)
UPDATE 2: "As much as I would like to do it, we just don't have the time to do it proper," Stewart said. "The IRL is so competitive now, you're not going to just show up like drivers used to do in the past and be competitive. These guys don't leave anything on the table there. You're not going to stroll into the Indy 500 with these guys who race every week and be as competitive as they are. It was a very humbling comment and offer that he made, for sure," said Stewart, booed by fans when he made the announcement. "I'm very humbled by the fact that he offered it to us. It's a great opportunity, but it's very hard when you're running three Cup teams right now and the obligations that we have making sure that we're doing the right things, we have a lot of people that depend on us. & It's kind of like being at Thanksgiving dinner. My plate is finally full. I don't know if I can add anymore to what I have right now." He left open the possibility of racing for Penske at some point. "I'm not going to do it this year, but there's nothing saying that down the road that I may not take him up on that same offer," Stewart said.(USA Today)(12-6-2012)

Penske's Indy 500 offer drawing interest: [Roger] Penske is crafty, and he loves IndyCar, so he managed to turn the talk to his beloved Indianapolis 500 before the [Spring Cup Awards banquet] night was over by offering three-time NASCAR champion #14-Tony Stewart the chance to drive for him next May. Although Stewart has yet to publicly respond to Penske's offer, Indianapolis Motor Speedway started an online petition where fans can encourage the two-time Brickyard 400 winner to accept the ride. Should Stewart pass, drivers were using Twitter on Monday to inform Penske they wanted the seat. Among them were Chip Ganassi Racing development driver Kyle Larson, Conor Daly, who spent this year in Formula One support series GP3, and NASCAR driver #55-Brian Vickers, who tried to put together an Indy 500 deal last May but was stymied by IndyCar's engine shortage. "I'm serious about Indy. Would do it in a heartbeat, was not just tweeting to be funny," Vickers said Monday. And broadcast partner ABC seemed amenable to discussions with IMS about moving up the start time of the 500 to accommodate Stewart (or Vickers or Casey Mears or AJ Allmendinger or Danica Patrick or Sam Hornish Jr. - because there's a list of NASCAR drivers with open-wheel experience who could theoretically now be thinking about trying to run both the IndyCar race and NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600). "ABC/ESPN would enthusiastically support the opportunity for said driver(s) to participate in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600. We have strong partnerships with the league and speedway," said Julie Sobieski, ESPN vice president, programming & acquisitions. IMS has not said if it's willing to move its start time, and the Indy 500 is a strong enough race that it doesn't need this additional buzz.(Associated Press)(12-4-2012)

2012 Stewie Awards: Three-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart and Matt Yocum hosted the 6th Annual Stewie Awards live from the Cabo Wabo Cantina at the Miracle Mile Shops on the Las Vegas Strip on Thu., Nov. 29. The annual highlight of NASCAR Champions Week honored the best, boldest and funniest moments from the NASCAR season. The Stewie Awards featured live interviews with several of Stewart's competitors in this year's Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, plus other special guests. Fan votes helped determine the Stewie Award winners.
During the show, Tony and Matt also presented the special Golden Stewie Award to Dr. Dick Berggren and the Lifetime Achievement Award to Bob Jenkins.
The award recipients:
Best Original Drama: Brad Keselowski and Jimmie Johnson
Bonehead Move of the Year Award: Danica Patrick
"Feels Like The First Time" Award: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Best Vocal Performance: Tony Stewart
Best "Driver2Crew Chatter": Carl Edwards
Best Original Comedy: Matt Kenseth
Hal Needham Award (Best Stunt Sequence): Juan Pablo Montoya (jet dryer)
'Boys, Have At It" Award: Jeff Gordon vs. Clint Bowyer
The Social Stewie Award: Matt Kenseth
See images at siriusxm.com/stewieawards.(SiriusXM and explanations of the awards at the Charlotte Observer)(12-1-2012)

Budweiser and Jimmy Johns to follow Harvick to SHR? When #29-Kevin Harvick leaves Richard Childress Racing at the end of the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, he will take major sponsors Budweiser and Jimmy Johns along with him. Reports surfaced last week that Harvick will bolt RCR at the conclusion of his current contract to race full-time for Stewart Haas Racing in 2014. Multiple sources speaking on the condition of anonymity say that when the move comes, it will also include the sponsors that backed the #29 team in a combined 26 races this season; 20 for Budweiser and six for Jimmy John's.(Godfather Motorsports)(11-16-2012)

Career Sprint Cup Start 500 for Stewart: The Ford EcoBoost 400 will mark #14-Tony Stewart's 500th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start and his 14th Sprint Cup start at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Stewart, driver of the #14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing, will become one of 32 drivers to hit the 500-start mark. Leading into this milestone race, Stewart has recorded 47 wins, which places him 14th on the all-time series win list. The Columbus, Ind., native has also scored 14 poles, 174 top-fives and 282 top-10s while leading 12,520 laps. Those numbers, along with his three Sprint Cup championships, also make Stewart Hall-of-Fame worthy.
Q) You'll be making your 500th career Sprint Cup start at Homestead. Does that surprise you, or do you look at it as just another number?
Stewart: "I'll give you the reality of this deal. I didn't even know it until somebody told me. And I was like, 'Okay, that's cool.' But then it was back to business. It's a milestone, but it's not as big when you compare it to some of the other drivers and see how many starts they have in their career. When you compare it to Richard Petty (1,184 starts) or Ricky Rudd (906 starts) or Mark Martin (853 starts), 500 isn't a lot."(SHR)(11-16-2012)

Stewart comments on Harvick rumor: #14-Tony Stewart, met with members of the media at Phoenix International Raceway and discussed future plans for SHR, the transcript in part:
Q) DO YOU HAVE A RESPONSE TO THE STORY THAT KEVIN HARVICK WILL JOIN STEWART-HAAS RACING IN 2014?
Tony Stewart: "Well, it's actually Dale, Jr. (SMILES BROADLY). And Marty Smith (ESPN Television personality and website reporter) is actually going to be in the fourth car. Yes, that's where we are at. (SMILES BROADLY) I will tell you this, when we have something to tell you guys, we'll tell you. I've always said that. You guys can throw darts, but when we have something to tell you that's different than what we've got going on, we'll obviously tell you."(Team Chevy)(11-9-2012)

Harvick to leave RCR after 2013 and head to SHR: For each of his 12 seasons in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Kevin Harvick has driven for Richard Childress Racing. That will change in 2014. Multiple NASCAR industry sources confirmed to ESPN.com Friday that Harvick has signed a multiyear agreement to drive for Stewart-Haas Racing beginning with the 2014 season. Harvick will remain at RCR in the #29 Chevy for the 2013 campaign, sources said. "I'm looking forward to finishing out this season on a strong note with RCR and continuing to build our program going into the 2013 season with the ultimate goal of winning a championship," Harvick told ESPN.com Friday at Phoenix International Raceway, when he was asked about his future. "Anything beyond that, once I know what my future plans are set, I'll let you know." Under Stewart-Haas' current plan, sources said, Harvick will drive a fourth SHR Chevrolet, teaming with #14-Tony Stewart, #39-Ryan Newman and #10-Danica Patrick to form a four-car stable. "Stewart-Haas Racing's driver lineup is all set for 2013, but if you're talking about 2014 and if Kevin Harvick is available, that's something the team would have to look at," SHR team spokesman Mike Arning said. "Any team in this garage would do the same. From the moment Stewart-Haas Racing was formed, becoming a four-car team is something it's been striving for. They have the infrastructure to accommodate a fourth team, and if everything aligns properly, it's something they'll do. So, if a driver the caliber of Kevin Harvick is available, it's something they would pursue."(ESPN)(11-9-2012)

Stewart-Haas announces 2013 crew chief lineup: With an eye on 2013, Stewart-Haas Racing is restructuring its team lineup beginning with the Sprint Cup Series race weekend at Martinsville. Tony Gibson, currently the crew chief of the #39 U.S. Army/Quicken Loans team of driver Ryan Newman, will move to the #10 GoDaddy.com team of driver Danica Patrick. Gibson will get a jump start on the 2013 season by serving as Patrick's crew chief during her last two Sprint Cup races of the 2012 season - Nov. 4 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth and Nov. 11 at Phoenix International Raceway. Matt Borland, currently the vice president of competition for SHR, will add to his duties by returning to the role of crew chief when he takes over the #39 team beginning at Martinsville. Borland served as Newman's crew chief for five years when the two were together at Penske Racing (2002-2006), earning 12 wins and 37 poles. The 2013 structure of the #14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 team of driver/owner Tony Stewart and crew chief Steve Addington will remain unchanged from 2012.(Stewart-Haas Racing)(10-20-2012)

Prelude to a Dream will not run in 2013: According to a news release issued Thursday by Eldora Speedway, the track will not host the Prelude to the Dream next year. "Eldora's commitment to the best possible experience for its loyal fans and competitors attending the Dirt Late Model Dream will result in a schedule change to Dream Week. The logistics associated with the Dream's expansion for the dirt Late Model teams that supplied the cars for the Prelude, along with speedway officials who must transition the facility, prevents the Prelude to the Dream from being included on the 2013 calendar. Advance ticket holders to the 2012 event will retain their renewal rights for the next scheduled Prelude to the Dream event going forward."(Eldora Speedway)(10-18-2012)

Bass Pro Shops will sponsor Stewart in 2013: UPDATE: After the smoke cleared, Tony Stewart emerged from his #14 Chevy in the parking lot of Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World to a thunderous ovation from about 600 fans who gathered to hear confirmation of what many already suspected. "I want to introduce you to Tony Stewart, new driver of the Bass Pro Shops Chevy," Bass Pro founder Johnny Morris said late Thursday afternoon. And with that, a day before complete details are revealed at Talladega, the reigning and three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion had a new primary sponsor for 2013. Stewart-Haas racing was in the market for a sponsor after Office Depot announced earlier this year it was leaving the sport. And Bass Pro was in the final year of a sponsorship agreement with Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing's Jamie McMurray. Mobil One is staying as the second primary sponsor, Stewart said. Morris said Bass Pro also plans to continue as a sponsor for brothers Austin and Ty Dillon in the NASCAR Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series, respectively, and that he appreciates the bond with Joplin native McMurray over the last three seasons.(Springfield, MO News-Leader)(10-4-2012)
UPDATE: Bass Pro Shops, America's most popular outdoor retailer, announced it will join Mobil 1 as the primary co-sponsor of Tony Stewart and the #14 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team of Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) beginning in 2013. Bass Pro Shops will adorn the hood of Stewart's #14 Chevy for 18 races, including the Daytona 500. Mobil 1, the world's leading synthetic motor oil brand, will be on the hood for 11 races. Nine primary races remain available for a brand to partner with Stewart, the three-time and reigning Sprint Cup champion. Bass Pro Shops joining the Sprint Cup team Stewart co-owns with Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation  the largest CNC machine tool builder in the western world  is the culmination of a more than decade-long partnership between Stewart and Bass Pro Shops. Stewart has been a brand ambassador for Bass Pro Shops since 2001, beginning with a personal services agreement that morphed into sponsorship of Stewart's dirt Late Model stock car that he campaigns at various short tracks across the country, including the annual Prelude To The Dream at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, where Stewart is a three-time winner (2006, 2008 and 2009). It continued via a primary sponsorship of Stewart's World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series team beginning in 2005, and as an associate sponsor of SHR since the team's inception in 2009.(Stewart-Haas Racing), see an image of the car on the 2013 #14 team paint schemes page and see earlier updates about Bass Pro moving on the #14 team news page.(10-5-2012)

Stewart losing sponsor: Office Depot, co-primary sponsor for Tony Stewart's #14 Chevy in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series since Stewart took over the team in 2009, will not return in that capacity in 2013, a team spokesman confirmed. "Office Depot has notified SHR that they will not be renewing as the primary sponsor of the #14 team," SHR spokesman Mike Arning said. "However, SHR is in continued discussions with Office Depot regarding possible future roles the company could have with the team." Asked what those future roles might be, Arning was unable to specify. "They want to be involved with Tony and the team, but are unsure how right now," he said. Office Depot's departure leaves quite a void for SHR. The office-products company held the primary sponsorship in 22 of 38 races in 2012. Mobil 1, which holds primary sponsorship of the #14 in the series' remaining 16 events, will carry the same investment in 2013, Arning said.
Mindy Kramer, Senior Director of Communications for Office Depot, said the decision to leave the three-time champion was difficult and not taken lightly. "The changing business landscape warrants a realignment of priorities and resources," Kramer said via written statement. "That being said, Tony Stewart has been an exceptional ambassador for our brand, and he has gone above and beyond in everything that he has done for our company. Being a part of his legendary 2011 championship run was a moment of tremendous pride for everyone at Office Depot." Office Depot is also currently the "Official Office Products Partner" of NASCAR, a status they've held since 2005. Kramer and NASCAR spokesman Jon Schwartz both said the two sides are still negotiating any future relationship.(ESPN)(9-2-2012)

Stewart denies crew chief rumor: #14-Tony Stewart denied on Tuesday a weekend social media report that Greg Zipadelli would become his crew chief in 2013. "No, that's not true,'' Stewart said during a promotion for sponsor Mobil 1 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. "That's the first I've even heard about it. Nobody has thought about that or discussed that. We're pretty comfortable where we're at with our lineup right now.'' Stewart and Zipadelli won two Sprint Cup titles together at Joe Gibbs Racing before Stewart became the driver/owner of Stewart-Haas Racing in 2009. Zipadelli joined Stewart as competition director at SHR this season. Zipadelli also is the crew chief for #10-Danica Patrick's 10 Cup races this season. Stewart said there are no plans to leave Zipadelli with Patrick when she moves to Cup full time in 2013.(ESPN)(8-29-2012)

Stewart has leads most stats at Watkins Glen:
In the last seven Sprint Cup races at Watkins Glen, Stewart has/is&
The best driver rating (124.8)
The best average running position (4.988)
The most laps led (145 or 22.9 percent)
The most fastest-laps run (105)
The fastest driver early in a run (119.975 mph)
The most laps spent in the top-15 (613 laps or 96.7 percent)
The most quality passes (179)
The second-best average finish (5.9)
The second-best average green-flag speed (119.891 mph)
The second-fastest driver on restarts (116.315 mph)
The second-fastest driver in traffic (118.203 mph)
The third-most quality passes (179)
The third-fastest driver late in a run (119.741 mph)(SHR)(8-11-2012)

Stewart says he will have three teams in 2013: #14-Tony Stewart, driver of the #14-Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevy and owners of Steweart-Haas Racing (#14, #10-Patrick & #39-Newman) was the guest on the NASCAR Weekly Teleconference. Below is the transcript in part, dealing with the loss of the U.S. Army on the #39 Chevy of Ryan Newman and plans for 2013:
: Q. With U.S. Army now leaving a few weeks ago, where does that leave you as far as commitments with new sponsorship for your team next year?
Stewart: We're working on it, it's definitely still a setback but --
Q. Is it your hope to have three cars next year? Stewart: Yes, and it has been since we signed Danica.
Q. On the sponsorship deal, last year at this time it seemed like the environment was changing a little bit and maybe getting a little bit better and if you're still seeing that kind of thing and what it's like out there now in terms of what kinds of things you're having to do to get sponsors now that maybe you were or were not last year at this time.
Stewart: Well, I still think it's gaining momentum. We have been able to bring in Aspen Dental and Quicken Loans on board and those are two companies that had not been a part of NASCAR racing in the past. I'm pretty proud of that side of it. You know, it was definitely a huge disappointment that we were going to lose the U.S. Army. But it's not something that we have had a lot of at Stewart Haas Racing, we have not lost a lot of partners. And especially a group like U.S. Army, they have been a lot of fun to work with and they been a very dedicated group and have been very involved with what the race team is doing and very such pore at this point. We are going to miss out having them on board next year. But I still think it's coming around. There's a lot of new companies that we are seeing in the sport, and we are seeing that in our organization. So we are not giving up hope and throwing in the towel thinking that we are losing one sponsor; we are going to hopefully be able to try to find somebody else.(Team Chevy)(7-25-2012)

Stewart honored at special ceremony: #14-Tony Stewart was honored Saturday afternoon in a special ceremony held by Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Stewart was presented a magnificent 7-foot tall bronze statue of a wild turkey created by renowned artist Stefan Savides to commemorate his driving the #14 Bass Pro Shops/Wild Turkey Federation Chevy in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series All-Star Race on May 19th. Bass Pro Shops donated its sponsorship of the car as a salute to the National Wild Turkey Federation for all the organization does for wildlife habitat conservation across America and as thank you for their long-standing partnership with Bass Pro Shops. The presentation was also held to honor Stewart for being named the honorary chairman of the 2012 National Hunting and Fishing Day. Congress established National Hunting and Fishing Day to recognize hunters and anglers for their leadership in fish and wildlife conservation. Stewart joins an elite fraternity of other celebrities that have served as honorary chairs, including Travis Tritt, Jeff Foxworthy, Arnold Palmer, and Terry Bradshaw among others. National Hunting and Fishing Day events, classes and workshops will be held Saturday, September 29th at communities and businesses all over America.(Bass Pro Shops)(5-20-2012)

Stewart, 2011 Chase meet with the President: Three-time and reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart will be honored by President Barack Obama at the White House on Tuesday, April 17 [approx 4:20pm/et]. The event also will include NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France and each member of the 2011 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup field: Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch and Kyle Busch. This event will be livestreamed at www.whitehouse.gov/live.(NASCAR)(4-12/17-2012)
UPDATE: Reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart and his fellow 2011 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series contenders changed their attire  from standard fire suits to business suits  for their annual visit to the White House on Tuesday.
President Barak Obama honored Stewart for capturing his third Sprint Cup Series title and celebrating the other 11 drivers who qualified for NASCAR's postseason last year. Speaking from the South Lawn, the President addressed the 12 drivers, honored quests and dignitaries in attendance in an approximate 4-minute speech. He thanked NASCAR CEO Brian France and NASCAR President Mike Helton for their leadership, NASCAR's commitment and support of the military, singled out driver Jimmie Johnson's unparalleled achievement of claiming five consecutive championships and 2011 Sprint Cup runner-up Carl Edwards's sportsmanship in the aftermath of falling just short of winning the title in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway last November, which was attended by First Lady Michelle Obama.
But, The President saved his best material in addressing Stewart, playing tribute to the 2011 champion's heart, attitude and determination as last season's regular season was coming to a close and Stewart on the postseason bubble. "Nobody saw it coming," said President Obama. "We've all heard about athletes who say they're going to do what it takes to win it all, but back in August with the season winding down, Tony predicted he wouldn't be able to pull it off. In fact, he said if he did end up winning the championship, and this is a quote, 'I'll declare I'm a total bumbling idiot.' But I think Tony's hero, the great AJ Foyt, put it best when he said the reason Tony won is because 'he drove the best race of his life, period.'"
Stewart's day started early with a behind-the-scenes tour of the iconic 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue residence and a meet-and-greet with the President. The champion roamed the famous halls and stepped foot in rooms frequented by the first family, including the East Room, the Library and more before heading to the South Lawn, where he was joined by fellow drivers Johnson, Edwards, Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch and Kyle Busch. The day ended with "Smoke" engaging in small talk with Obama by his No. 14 Chevrolet, which was prominently positioned off to the side of the podium.(NASCAR)(4-18-2012)