#14- Tony Stewart has won at least one race in each of the last 15 seasons and needs to win at Homestead to extend his streak. Richard Petty holds the record at 18 seasons followed by David Pearson at 17, Rusty Wallace and Ricky Rudd at 16 each. See the list on the All-time wins page for the full list.
UPDATE – no crew chief change: ‘All streaks come to an end at some point,’ Stewart quietly said during an interview with The Associated Press. ‘The streak is important to me, and this year, I still won a sprint car race when I came back,’ he said. ‘So I’ve had 36 straight years of at least winning a race. I was proud to have 15 years in a row that I won a race in the Cup Series. I’ll be sad if it stops and it ends, but that’s part of it.’
Crew Chief Chad Johnston, who in his first year with Stewart, is desperately trying to keep the winning streak intact. Many of Stewart’s longtime fans think Johnston is to blame for Stewart’s struggles because he’s not giving him a car he can drive. Stewart said Johnston is doing just fine and likened their chemistry to the relationship he had with Greg Zipadelli, his crew chief for 10 years and two championships. ‘I really like working with Chad, and it’s been frustrating for him, too,’ Stewart said. ‘If there’s any fans who don’t think he is mad and frustrated, they are fooling themselves. He wants it so bad, but we’ve tried so many different things, I honestly feel it’s the package that’s the hang-up. I don’t feel like I need a different crew chief next year. I am very comfortable with who I have.’(in part from the Associated Press)
AND Stewart quickly dismissed any idea that the tumultuous year meant he would part ways with his first-year crew chief Chad Johnston. ‘Chad and I are ‘ probably of all the crew chiefs I’ve had ‘ personality-wise, we are probably the best fit in all reality. We have the same level of intensity but also the same level of quick wit, sarcasm; it’s like we might be related to one another.’(NASCAR.com)(11-16-2014)
UPDATE – streak ends For Tony Stewart the driver, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season finale Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway was forgettable. An overheating engine dropped him out of the race early, leaving Stewart with a 43rd-place finish. But for the Tony Stewart who co-owns Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) with Haas Automation founder Gene Haas, Sunday at Homestead was unforgettable as SHR’s Kevin Harvick took the win and the series championship. With a damaged front grill from contact earlier in the 267-lap race around the 1.5-mile oval, Stewart’s No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS began to overheat. With the oil and water temperatures pegged, Stewart was forced to take his car off the racetrack and into the garage. After completing 182 laps, Stewart’s day was over, at least as a driver.(SHR)(11-17-2014)
