Tony Stewart has decided not to compete in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event this weekend at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn. Veteran driver Jeff Burton, a winner of 21 Sprint Cup races, will pilot the #14 Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) in place of Stewart. This driver change pertains only to Michigan. Stewart’s plans for upcoming Sprint Cup races have yet to be determined. At 10:00am/et on Friday in the deadline room of the infield media center at Michigan, Burton will be part of a press briefing featuring SHR executive vice president Brett Frood and SHR vice president of competition Greg Zipadelli.(True Speed Communication/Stewart-Haas Racing)
AND By skipping an entire weekend, he would need NASCAR to waive the requirement that a driver must qualify or race every weekend to be eligible for the Chase. NASCAR officials would not speculate Thursday whether they would grant a waiver if one is requested(Sporting News)(8-14-2014)
UPDATE: Greg Zipadelli, VP of competition, Stewart Haas Racing, Brett Frood executive vice president of Stewart Haas Racing, and Jeff Burton held a press conference Friday morning at Michigan International Speedway. The transcript of the conference is posted on the Stewart Haas Racing Press Conference Transcript Page.(8-15-2014)
