Tony Stewart News

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.

The Phoenix 500k NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway was 312 laps, and from the beginning of the three-hour event on the 1-mile oval, Tony Stewart fought an ill-handling racecar.

After just 10 laps, Stewart radioed to crew chief Chad Johnston that his car was loose off turn four. Fifteen laps later, it was still loose off the corner but also tight in the center of turns three and four. When the caution flag waved for the first of 12 times on lap 32, Stewart explained that he needed more overall grip. 

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Budweiser Chevrolet SS, led the four-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent Friday at Phoenix International Raceway by setting the third-fastest lap in qualifying for the Phoenix 500k NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday. Harvick turned a lap of 25.353 seconds at 141.995 mph on the 1-mile oval

“I got up the racetrack a little bit the first lap in turn one, and on the second lap I got up the track in turns three and four. So, I just missed it by a little bit,” said Harvick, who has a series-best five Sprint Cup wins at Phoenix (April 2006, November 2006, November 2012, November 2013 and March 2014). “Our Budweiser Chevrolet is really good in race trim and we’re really looking forward to the race.”

Tony Stewart turned in a solid performance Sunday by finishing 11th in the AAA Texas 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), scored his 14th top-15 result of 2014 after starting sixth in the 43-car field.

Stewart noted early in the race that his racecar was handling tight in the center of the track’s corners. The Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 machine had decent balance around the 1.5-mile oval, but lost grip as the race progressed.

Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet SS, led the four-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent Friday at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth by setting the fourth-fastest lap in qualifying for the AAA Texas 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday. Busch turned a lap of 27.148 seconds at 198.910 mph on the 1.5-mile oval in the third qualifying round.

“Good runs all the way through,” said Busch, who won at Texas in November 2009. “We had to make some big changes going into qualifying with the car touching the racetrack due to the extra speed. The pace that the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series has been on for qualifying this year is track records everywhere we go. This time around was no different. But we were able to advance through all three rounds and really put up a good fight in the final round. We almost had a shot at the pole, we ended up a little tight in turn four, and that brought us home fourth. A great day all the way around for the first time with Tony Gibson, the engineers and everyone on this Haas Automation Chevy. It felt good to get that first day under our belt.”

Rare, if ever, has Tony Stewart considered a fourth-place finish a win. But after finishing fourth in the Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, Stewart said, “Fourth never felt so good.” The effort equaled his season-best finish of fourth earned at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in March.

For a driver with three championships and 48 career Sprint Cup victories, this seems abnormal. But the last two seasons have been far from normal for Stewart, where consistency has been hard to find and his last victory came 57 races ago at Dover (Del.) International Speedway. A new car with a new rules package, along with a new crew chief and new teammates, have injected incessant change into Stewart’s routine since he won the 2011 Sprint Cup title.

Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet SS, led the four-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent Friday at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway by setting the fourth-fastest lap in qualifying for the Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday. Stewart turned a lap of 19.070 seconds at 99.297 mph on the .526-mile oval.

“Qualifying up front here is really important. It means pit stall selection and that’s the biggest thing,” said Stewart, a three-time Sprint Cup winner at Martinsville (October 2000, April 2006 and October 2011). “That’s a good run for us. We haven’t qualified that well here in a while. I’m proud of Chad (Johnston, crew chief) and the whole Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats/Mobil 1 team. They did an awesome job.”

Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), had a plan for the Geico 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway: Hang around the back of the 43-car field and be in position at the end of the race to contend for the win. It was a plan that he was playing to perfection until a midrace accident caused enough damage to put him in the unwanted position of limping to the checkered flag with a 34th-place finish. 

“I saw them wrecking and someone just hit me from out of nowhere – didn’t even see who it was,” said Stewart, the 2008 winner of the fall race at Talladega. “I thought our Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevy was pretty good. We just never got a chance to show it.”

Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet, led the four-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent Saturday at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway by setting the 18th -fastest lap in qualifying for Sunday’s Geico 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. 

Busch turned a lap of 49.850 seconds at 192.096 mph on the 2.66-mile oval.

“That was definitely an interesting qualifying format,” said Busch, who has six top-five finishes in 26 Sprint Cup starts at Talladega. “We qualified about half as fast as we needed to in the Haas Automation Chevrolet. We’ll go race tomorrow and see what happens.”

A promising start for Tony Stewart Saturday night in the Bank of America 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway ended with a 21st-place finish.

Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), started fourth in the 334-lap race around the 1.5-mile oval and nabbed third place from Denny Hamlin after only one lap.

Stewart held steady among the top-five for the race’s first 50 laps before slowly drifting back with a racecar that was tight in the center of the track’s corners and too loose back to the gas.

Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS, led the four-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent Thursday at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway by setting the fourth-fastest lap in qualifying for the Bank of America 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Saturday night. Stewart turned a lap of 27.475 seconds at 196.542 mph on the 1.5-mile oval.

“We had a really good practice, but those first couple of qualifying laps were nothing like practice,” said Stewart, who won at Charlotte in October 2003. “We started off really tight, to the point where I couldn’t even be flat on my out lap. But I’m proud of Chad Johnston (crew chief) and this Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 team because they all worked to find a solution and fine tune this No. 14 Chevrolet. We advanced all the way to the third round and now we’ll start on the outside of row two. We’ll take that.”

Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), wrestled an ill-handling racecar to finish 17th in the Hollywood Casino 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City.

Stewart started ninth and 25 laps into the 267-lap race around the 1.5-mile oval, complained of a lack of rear grip. It was a complaint that never went away, despite constant chassis adjustments during each pit stop.

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Budweiser Chevrolet SS, led the four-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent Friday at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City by winning the pole for the Hollywood Casino 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday. It was the 22nd Sprint Cup pole for SHR since its inception in 2009 and the organization’s ninth this season.

Harvick turned a lap of 27.325 seconds at 197.621 mph in the third and final round of knockout qualifying on the 1.5-mile oval to score his 14th career Sprint Cup pole, his series-high eighth of the season and his third straight at Kansas. Prior to this year, the most poles Harvick ever won in a single season were two in 2005. 

Tony Stewart turned in a solid performance in Sunday’s AAA 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Dover (Del.) International Speedway by finishing 14th  in his No. 14 Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR). It was his 12th top-15 result of the 2014 season.

Stewart started the race from 15th in the 43-car field and noted early on in the race that while the car was handling tight in the center of the turns, it was better upon exit. The Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops machine had decent balance around the 1-mile, concrete oval, and it allowed Stewart to make steady progress, as he climbed to 12th place within the first 50 laps. 

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Budweiser Chevrolet SS, led the four-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent Friday at Dover (Del.) International Speedway by winning the pole for the AAA 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday. It was the 21st Sprint Cup pole for SHR since its inception in 2009 and the organization’s eighth this season.

Harvick turned a lap of 22.095 seconds at162.933 mph on the 1-mile, concrete-oval to score his 13th career Sprint Cup pole, his series-high seventh of the season and his first at Dover. Prior to this year, the most poles Harvick ever won in a single season were two in 2005.

Tony Stewart endured an uncharacteristic outing Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, finishing 30th in the Sylvania 300 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.

Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Code 3 Associates/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), experienced an off weekend at the 1.058-mile oval. He qualified 28th on Friday, endured a spin in final practice on Saturday and struggled with an ill-handling racecar throughout Sunday. 

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Budweiser Designate a Driver Chevrolet SS, led the four-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent Friday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon by setting the third-fastest lap in qualifying for Sunday’s Sylvania 300 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Harvick turned a lap of 27.193 seconds at 140.065 mph on the 1.058-mile oval in the final qualifying round.

“Those were huge improvements for our Budweiser team from what we had in practice, and I feel like it gave us a good direction for race trim,” said Harvick, who won at New Hampshire in September 2006. “I’m just real proud of everybody on our Budweiser team and I’m proud to be driving the Designate a Driver car this weekend. It sends a great message to everybody to drink responsibly. Have a good time, but have a plan to drink responsibly as you go out.”

Tony Stewart’s 18th-place finish in the MyAFibStory.com 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois, was far from the result usually earned by the driver of the No. 14 Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR).

In his12 previous Sprint Cup starts at Chicagoland, Stewart secured a series-best average finish of 8.5. On only two occasions had Stewart finished outside the top-10 at the 1.5-mile oval (2001 and 2006).

Rain canceled Friday’s qualifying session for the MyAFibStory.com 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois. As a result, the 43-car field for Sunday’s 267-lap event around the 1.5-mile oval was set by taking the fastest lap each driver posted during Friday’s practice session, per the NASCAR rulebook.

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), will start 12th. Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet for SHR, will start 14th. Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet SS for SHR, will start 18th. Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet SS for SHR, will start 22nd.

Tony Stewart had a silent but strong run in the Federated Auto Parts 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series raceSaturday night at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway.

The driver of the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) started 19thand worked his way into the top-10 by lap 310 of the 400-lap race. But a pit road miscue during a caution period on lap 331 derailed Stewart’s top-10 effort. A missing lugnut on the left-rear tire meant that Stewart had to return to pit road on the following lap to have the lugnut installed. Instead of restarting among the top-10, Stewart restarted in 15th.

With plenty of traffic in front of him and too many laps behind him, Stewart had little time to make up the lost ground with only 64 laps remaining. He held steady in 15th, earning his 11th top-15 finish of the season.

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Budweiser Chevrolet SS, led the four-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent Friday at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway by setting the fourth-fastest lap in qualifying for Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Harvick turned a lap of21.453 seconds at 125.857 mph on the .75-mile oval.

“It doesn’t drive very well, but it drives – I guess as good as anybody’s,” said Harvick, who has three Sprint Cup wins at Richmond (September 2006, September 2011 and April 2013). “The Budweiser team has done a great job and we just have to put it all together.”

Tony Stewart had a strong start Sunday night at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the Oral-B USA 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, but it was an early, 41st-place finish for the driver of the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS of Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR).

A flat right-front tire on lap 171 around the 1.54-mile oval sent Stewart into the turn-two wall. The right side of the No. 14 machine scraped along the SAFER Barrier and then moments later, the tire shredded, ripping apart sheetmetal and suspension components.

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet SS, led the four-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent Friday at Atlanta Motor Speedway by winning the pole for Sunday’s Oral-B USA 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. It was the 20th Sprint Cup pole for SHR since its inception in 2009 and the organization’s seventh this season.

Harvick turned a lap of 29.118 seconds at 190.398 mph on the 1.54-mile oval to score his 12th career Sprint Cup pole, his sixth of the season and his first at Atlanta. It was also Harvick’s second consecutive pole, as he claimed the top spot in qualifying last week at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. Prior to this year, the most poles Harvick ever won in a single season were two in 2005.

KANNAPOLIS, N.C., (Aug. 28, 2014) – Tony Stewart has decided to return to racing this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia. The Aug. 31 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at the 1.54-mile oval will mark Stewart’s first start since Aug. 3 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. 

Stewart sat out the past three races at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International, Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn and Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway following the tragic accident on Aug. 9 involving Kevin Ward Jr. during a sprint car feature at Canandaigua (N.Y.) Motorsports Park. 

At 1 p.m. EDT on Friday in the infield media center at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Stewart will be available to the press, where he will be joined by Stewart-Haas Racing executive vice president Brett Frood.

In order to cover this event, media must be credentialed by Atlanta Motor Speedway. Credential requests should be e-mailed to Dustin Bixby, Atlanta Motor Speedway director of marketing and promotion, at DustinB@AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com by Friday at 10 a.m. All requests must include full name, requesting media organization, phone number and e-mail address.

-SHR-

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Budweiser Chevrolet SS, led the four-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent Saturday at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International by qualifying fourth for Sunday’s Cheez-It 355k at The Glen NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Harvick turned a lap of 68.447 seconds at 128.859 mph around the 2.45-mile, 11-turn road course.

“I didn’t really put a whole lap together,” said Harvick, who won at Watkins Glen in 2006. “The car was really good – just didn’t get everything out of it that I needed to get the pole. Still, it’s a solid effort by our Budweiser team and a really good starting position. From there we should be able to hopefully race up front all day.”

KANNAPOLIS, N.C., (Aug. 6, 2014) – Tony Stewart will be turning left and right this weekend at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International, but since this time last year, his career has come full circle.

A year ago, Stewart was absent from The Glen. His streak of consecutive starts in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series ended at 521 when in the wee hours of Aug. 5, 2013, an accident in a sprint car race at Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa, left him with a broken right tibia and fibula.

Stewart’s season was over, and he did not return to a racecar until Feb. 14, 2014 when practice for the Sprint Unlimited began at 5 p.m. EST at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. #StandWithSmoke was the mantra upon Stewart’s return, and it’s appropriate that #StandWithSmoke reappears in Stewart’s return to Watkins Glen.

Tony Stewart will never know what might have been in the GoBowling.com 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, where varying pit strategies ruled the day. The driver of the No. 14 Code 3 Associates/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) was collected in a multicar accident on lap 117 and was left with a 36th-place finish.

“It (the wreck) was far enough ahead of us that I never even saw how it started,” said Stewart, a two-time Sprint Cup winner at Pocono (June 2003 and June 2009). “We were just coming off of (turn) two there and somebody got sideways. They started wrecking in front of us, and we got caught up in it. I ended up on top of Paul Menard’s hood, so it wasn’t where we wanted to end up with our Code 3 Associates/Mobil 1 Chevy, by any means.”

Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet SS, led the four-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent Friday at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway by setting the fourth-fastest lap in qualifying for Sunday’s GoBowling.com 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Busch turned a lap of49.272 seconds at 182.660 mph around the 2.5-mile triangle.

“It was a good day for the Haas Automation team,” said Busch, a two-time Sprint Cup winner at Pocono (July 2005 and August 2007). “We were in position to get a pole. We had speed in practice and all the way through our three runs. We picked up time in our final run and we need to do more of that. We picked up speed on that last outing, but it just wasn’t enough. Guys beat us today and we ended up fourth. The Haas Automation Chevrolet was really good though. Let’s just make sure we have that balance after happy hour tomorrow.”

KANNAPOLIS, N.C., (July 30, 2014) – As Tony Stewart carries the colors of Code 3 Associates this weekend at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway and champions the 501(c)(3) non-profit organization’s membership drive, he is driving toward membership in the 2014 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Becoming a member of Code 3 Associates via its Website, www.Code3Associates.org, is a free and easy way to rally and organize people in support of Code 3 Associates’ mission, which is animal rescue and recovery in disaster areas. 

Indianapolis Motor Speedway is Tony Stewart’s home track, as the three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion hails from nearby Columbus, Indiana. Upon racing at the historic, 2.5-mile oval as a Sprint Cup rookie in 1999, Stewart has seemingly held a homefield advantage ever since with two wins (2005 and 2007), 227 laps led and, until Sunday, only two finishes outside of the top-12 in 15 career starts.

But when the green flag dropped on the 21st running of the Brickyard 400, homefield held no advantage for Stewart. 

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet SS, led the four-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent Saturday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway by winning the pole during qualifying for the 21stannual Brickyard 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday. It was the 18th Sprint Cup pole for SHR since its inception in 2009 and the organization’s fifth this season.

Harvick turned a record lap of 47.753 seconds at 188.470 mph on the 2.5-mile oval in the final round of qualifying, breaking the previous track qualifying record of 47.992 seconds at 187.531 mph set by former SHR driver Ryan Newman on July 28, 2013. It was Harvick’s 10th career pole, his fourth this season and his second at Indianapolis. Prior to this year, the most poles Harvick ever won in a single season were two in 2005.

KANNAPOLIS, N.C., (July 23, 2014) – Tony Stewart knows what it means to be a big deal. Growing up in Indiana, he’s been surrounded by personalities who fit the bill, from fellow Hoosiers Larry Bird and John Mellencamp to the state-adopted personalities of Peyton Manning and Bobby Knight. 

All are larger than life. All are kind of a big deal. It’s a fairly sacred fraternity – one that Stewart always admired but never imagined he would become a card-carrying member.

Tony Stewart endured an up-and-down day in the Camping World RV Sales 301 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, and when the checkered flag dropped, Stewart was on his way up. The driver of the No. 14 Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) rallied from 19th to seventh in the race’s last 50 laps to score his sixth top-10 this season and his 18th top-10 in 30 career Sprint Cup starts at New Hampshire.

“We went from holding our own at the beginning of the race to getting pretty beat up out there,” said Stewart, who qualified fourth, his best starting spot since winning the pole for the April 26 race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. “Finally, we just made a big change to get the front end of the car to bite. We honestly didn’t know how well it would work, but it beat running 20th.

Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS, led the four-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent Friday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon by setting the fourth-fastest lap in qualifying for Sunday’s Camping World RV Sales 301 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Stewart turned a lap of 27.786 seconds at 137.076 mph on the 1.058-mile oval in the final qualifying round.

“I’m actually pretty happy with that,” said Stewart, a three-time Sprint Cup winner at New Hampshire (July 2000, July 2005 and September 2011). “Our Mobil 1 Chevy is good in race trim and now we’ve got a good starting spot and good pit selection.”

KANNAPOLIS, N.C., (July 9, 2014) – Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), knows all too well the importance of luck in racing. 

For example, it could be argued that it was a simple case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time last Sunday at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway when Stewart was taken out of contention in a multicar accident after having led just a handful of laps. Or it could be inferred that it was an instance of bad luck, leading credence to the notion that sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. 

But sometimes it’s just good to be good. And when it comes to racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, Stewart is good. Very good, in fact.

Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Ducks Unlimited Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), finished 40th in the rain-postponed Coke Zero 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

Stewart was collected in a multicar accident on lap 20 of what eventually became a 112-lap event when rain cut the race short of its scheduled 160-lap distance.

“The No. 17 car (Ricky Stenhouse Jr.) got sideways on the lap that we’re all getting a competition caution,” said Stewart, a four-time winner of the Coke Zero 400 (2005, 2006, 2009 and 2012). “It didn’t make much sense to me. We were in good shape with our Bass Pro Shops/Ducks Unlimited Chevy, so it’s just dumb to be in this position this early.”

Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Ducks Unlimited Chevrolet SS, led the four-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent Friday at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway by qualifying 12th for the Coke Zero 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Saturday night. Stewart turned a lap of 45.346 seconds at 198.474 mph on the 2.5-mile oval. 

Qualifying consisted of one 25-minute round, as rounds two and three were rained out. Per NASCAR rules, the line-up was set by the 43 fastest speeds in the first round.

KANNAPOLIS, N.C., (July 2, 2014) – Duck, duck, goose. It’s a simple childhood game in which, after being tagged, the reluctant goose gives chase in the hopes of regaining the preferred status of a duck. It can go on and on with contestants making laps and taking turns at being both goose and duck. 

While it is a guileless contest for kids, the concept is one that resonates when it comes to restrictor-plate racing. For example, multiple players will take their turn in the lead during Saturday night’s Coke Zero 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. It’s where each driver hopes to be chased rather than be the chaser. In other words, it’s duck versus goose. 

This weekend, Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Ducks Unlimited Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), will play the role of the elusive duck in both name and game. 

Tony Stewart used all 267 laps in Saturday night’s Kentucky 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta to rally his way to a solid 11th-place finish.

Despite qualifying 13th, Stewart had to relinquish that spot when his team was forced to change the transmission of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers Chevrolet SS prior to the race. NASCAR rules dictate that if such a change is made, the driver must start the race at the rear of the field. While Stewart was credited with a 13th-place starting spot, his real-world starting spot was 42nd.

When the green flag waved, Stewart began making immediate progress. After just 10 laps around the bumpy, 1.5-mile oval, he was 27th. 

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Budweiser Chevrolet SS, led the four-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent Friday at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta by setting the fifth-fastest lap in qualifying for the Kentucky 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Saturday night. Harvick turned a lap of 29.016 seconds at 186.104 mph on the 1.5-mile oval.

“We kind of battled, and I think everybody has battled because this is just a tough racetrack to get a hold of,” said Harvick, who has one top-10 finish in three Sprint Cup starts at Kentucky. “We didn’t have a great first run, but we made it better every run and wound up with a top-five start. That’s a great improvement for our Budweiser team.” 

KANNAPOLIS, N.C., (June 25, 2014) – Leading during the closing laps of a race can be both a thrilling and anxiety-inducing experience. Drivers go through their mental checklists, making sure to hit their marks, and doing what they can to protect the lead while the team relays such pertinent information as “white flag, next time by” and “checkered flag, this time”. It’s all music to the ears of the potential victor. 

Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), has heard that music often. Forty-eight times, in fact, in the elite NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in a career that now spans 16 years.

Stewart’s proficiency at closing the deal is evidenced by this fact: he has owned the lead when taking the white flag for all but two of his 48 career wins. 

After starting 21st and falling to 25th after lap one of the 110-lap SaveMart 350k NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday at Sonoma Raceway, Tony Stewart quickly regrouped. With the opening-lap jousting over as the field became more strung out, Stewart set his sights on expertly navigating the 10-turn, 1.99-mile road course in California’s wine country.

Stewart wheeled his No. 14 Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet SS to 14th just past the race’s halfway mark and continued to climb as the race neared its end. With less than 25 laps to go, Stewart was sixth, and thanks to a lap-72 pit stop, was one of only a few drivers who could make it to the finish without pitting.

Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet SS, led the four-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent in time trials Saturday at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway by qualifying fifth for the SaveMart 350k NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday. Busch turned a lap of 74.856 seconds at 95.704 mph around the 10-turn, 1.99-mile road course.

“It was a good lap for the Haas Automation Chevrolet,” said Busch, who won at Sonoma in 2011. “We prepared well for this race with a couple of test sessions and executed a good practice run yesterday. The lap time we ran put us P1 in the first practice. We knew we needed to gain a little more and today we got beat by a couple of guys that laid down really good laps.”

KANNAPOLIS, N.C., (June 18, 2014) – “This is a story about control, my control. Control of what I say, control of what I do.”

That’s the opening monologue for the title track on pop icon Janet Jackson’s third album, “Control.” The independence-claiming anthem was released in 1986 and served as the vehicle for Jackson’s not-so subtle missive that she was taking charge of her life and career. 

Although it was nearly 30 years ago when “Control” hit the airwaves, it’s possible Jackson was channeling her inner Tony Stewart.

Control is an instrument Stewart has successfully applied throughout his racing career, parlaying it into three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships and 48 career wins. And come Sunday at Sonoma Raceway, Stewart seeks to control his chance to earn a fourth series title by winning his first race of the season, his third at Sonoma and his eighth on a road course.

Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), finished 11th in the Quicken Loans 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn.

While it wasn’t a win, it was another week of marked improvement. The team has advanced from 22nd in points to 16th in the span of four races.

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Budweiser Chevrolet SS, led the four-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent in time trials Friday at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn by winning the pole for the Quicken Loans 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday. Harvick turned a lap of 35.198 seconds at 204.557 mph around the 2-mile oval to set a new track record.

Harvick’s pole speed, the fastest qualifying lap ever at a non-restrictor plate track, broke the previous Sprint Cup track qualifying record of 35.303 seconds at 203.949 mph set by Joey Logano on Aug. 16, 2013.

KANNAPOLIS, N.C., (June 11, 2014) – Tony Stewart knew from a very young age he wanted to drive racecars. Whether it was an innate yearning or an interest fostered through the support of his parents is a classic nature versus nurture debate best left to the humanities experts. All that mattered is a young Stewart enjoyed the thrill of competition and felt the need for speed.  

That thirst for speed will be quenched this weekend at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, site of the Quicken Loans 400. In his No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing, Stewart will turn laps around the 2-mile oval in excess of 200 mph.

Tony Stewart looked to be the driver to beat in the Pocono 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, leading early and often. A pit road speeding penalty proved too costly to overcome for the driver of the No. 14 Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), but despite the setback, he was able to rally for a 13th-place finish at the aptly named “Tricky Triangle. 

“It was 100 percent driver error,” said Stewart, a two-time Sprint Cup winner at Pocono (June 2003 and June 2009). “I don’t know how I got through the (dashboard) lights like I did, but I got to where I blew through all the lights and didn’t have any on the (tachometer) so I had no clue that I was over it. I gave my guys grief last week with a sixth-place run when I thought we should have run in the top-three. Then I threw it away this week. We had an awesome Mobil 1 Chevy all day, all from Friday through Sunday, so it was a great race. The driver just screwed it up this week.”

Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet SS, led the four-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent Friday at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway by setting the second-fastest lap in qualifying for Sunday’s Pocono 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Busch turned a lap of 29.612 seconds at 181.408 mph around the 2.5-mile triangle.

 “We came here with a new approach and to try to get out front to settle into the race track a little better,” said Busch, a two-time Sprint Cup winner at Pocono (July 2005 and August 2007). “And this track can lead into finding some comfort with how smooth it is from the repave. I was really surprised that we had the speed for the pole today with our Haas Automation Chevy on just our first attempt at trying something a little different. So, it’s great to cash in.”

KANNAPOLIS, N.C., (June 4, 2014) – Brussels sprouts rarely make an appearance on anyone’s list of favorite foods. And why would they? They’re a leafy, green vegetable that, depending on how they’re prepared, can have a questionable texture and bitter taste. Yet, they’re packed with nutrients, including anticancer properties, earning them “it’s good for you” status from generations of moms.

Like Brussels sprouts, Pocono (Pa.) Raceway rarely ranks at the top of a driver’s list of favorite tracks. However, it is a venue that has an “it’s good for you” effect for a handful of drivers who have mastered the track’s distinctive design.

Tony Stewart finished seventh in the FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday at Dover (Del.) International Speedway to nab his fifth top-10 this season and his 17th top-10 in 30 career Sprint Cup starts at Dover.

Stewart came into the 400-lap race around the 1-mile, concrete oval as the defending winner, as he beat Juan Pablo Montoya by .788 of a second to score his 48th career Sprint Cup victory in last year’s race. That was also the most recent win for Stewart, and it came in his No. 14 Code 3 Associates/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR).

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Budweiser Chevrolet SS, led the four-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent Friday at Dover (Del.) International Speedway by setting the eighth-fastest lap in qualifying for the FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday. Harvick turned a lap of22.154 seconds at 162.499 mph on the 1-mile, concrete oval.

“The car was just too free to get the lap we needed in qualifying,” said Harvick, who has three top-fives and 12 top-10s in 26 career Sprint Cup starts at Dover. “Overall, the Budweiser Chevy was fast in race trim this morning, so we’ll just work on that a bit more tomorrow to get it ready for Sunday.”

KANNAPOLIS, N.C., (May 28, 2014) – Tony Stewart’s last NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win came 36 races ago at Dover (Del.) International Speedway. Wheeling a black and yellow No. 14 Code 3 Associates/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), Stewart started 22nd and captured victory by way of a late-race pit call, where a two-tire pit stop with just 19 laps remaining put him in position for the win. Stewart took the lead for the first time on lap 398 of the 400-lap race and never looked back. It was Stewart’s 48th career Sprint Cup win and his third at the concrete, 1-mile oval.

This weekend, Stewart returns to Dover as the defending winner of the FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks. And much like last year when he came into Round No. 13 on the 36-race Sprint Cup schedule, Stewart is looking for a jumpstart to his season.

Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), is rarely satisfied with a finish that doesn’t end up in victory lane. But the 16-year NASCAR Sprint Cup Series veteran is also savvy enough to know when true progress is being made, and Stewart saw that in the Coca-Cola 600 Sunday night at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.

Despite a 13th-place finish in the series’ longest race, Stewart saw the bigger picture, declaring with 20 laps still remaining in the 400-lap marathon around the 1.5-mile oval, “I don’t care how this ends up. We are 1,000 percent better than we were a week ago.”

Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet SS, led the four-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent Thursday at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway by setting the fourth-fastest lap in qualifying for the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday. 

Patrick turned a lap of 27.931 seconds at 193.334 mph around the 1.5-mile oval to notch her best Sprint Cup qualifying effort at a non-restrictor plate race. Patrick’s previous best Sprint Cup qualifying run at a non-restrictor plate track came one race ago at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, where she qualified ninth.

KANNAPOLIS, N.C., (May 21, 2014) – Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS, is a 16-year veteran of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, but his racing roots aren’t in stock cars, they’re in open-wheel machines, the pinnacle of which is the Indianapolis 500.

Stewart made a name for himself in the rough-and-tumble world of the United States Auto Club (USAC), home to numerous open-wheel divisions that has served as a ladder system to the Indianapolis 500 for decades. Stewart has four USAC championships, including what at the time was an unprecedented win of USAC’s “Triple Crown.” 

Tony Stewart had a relatively quiet night in the 30th running of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race Saturday at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. 

Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), started 15th and finished 12th in the annual non-points race featuring drivers who met one of the following criteria:

·      Won a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in 2013 or 2014.

·      Is a past All-Star Race winner.

·      Is a Sprint Cup champion from the past 10 years.

·      Won Friday night’s Sprint Showdown.

·      Was the runner-up in the Sprint Showdown.

·      Won the Sprint Fan Vote.

The 90-lap race around the 1.5-mile oval was broken up into five segments of 20 laps, 20 laps, 20 laps, 20 laps and 10 laps and featured a 22-driver field. Throughout the race, Stewart’s No. 14 Chevrolet battled a loose-handling condition. 

KANNAPOLIS, N.C., (May 14, 2014) – Believe it or not, Tony Stewart’s first win as a driver/owner with Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) came five years ago in the 2009 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.

Stewart didn’t lead the most laps in that memorable first victory for SHR, but he led the most important ones. Stewart paced the final two circuits around the 1.5-mile oval after overtaking Matt Kenseth for the lead on lap 98 of the 100-lap event. Stewart’s margin of victory over the 2003 Sprint Cup champion was .971 of a second.

Tony Stewart’s weekend at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City was a series of ups and downs, and it ended on Saturday night with a 20th-place finish in the 5-hour-Energy 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.

In the first Sprint Cup practice on Friday, Stewart was a lowly 31st on the speed charts. But after some serious troubleshooting, Stewart and Co. emerged for final Sprint Cup practice with an improved chassis setup. It was so improved, it allowed Stewart to set the quickest time in final practice. From nearly worst to first, Stewart carried that momentum into qualifying, where he placed his No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) eighth in the 43-car field.

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet SS, led the four-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent Friday at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City by winning the pole for Saturday night’s 5-hour Energy 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Harvick turned a lap of 27.799 seconds at 194.658 mph on the 1.5-mile oval to set a new track record.

It was Harvick’s eighth career Sprint Cup pole, his second of the season and his second at Kansas. The only other time Harvick won two poles in a single season was 2005. Harvick won the pole three races ago at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. The last three races where Harvick has won the pole, he’s gone on to win the race – September 2006 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, October 2013 at Kansas and April 2014 at Darlington.

KANNAPOLIS, N.C., (May 7, 2014) – Tony Stewart is a fan of progressive rock, be it of the powerhouse band “Kansas” that was formed in Topeka in the early 1970s, to the rock that was unearthed at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City back in 2012 to make way for progressive banking. 

Stewart, whose iPod is as eclectic as his racing resume, has earned 48 career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins, and they’ve come at every type of track on the NASCAR schedule. Intermediate tracks. Short tracks. High-banked tracks. Flat tracks. Superspeedways. Road courses. Name it and Stewart has won on it, including the two tracks that also recently incorporated progressive banking – Homestead-Miami Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In fact, two of Stewart’s last four Sprint Cup victories have come at progressively-banked tracks – 2011 at Homestead-Miami Speedway and 2013 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Restrictor-plate racing is an anomaly in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, where drivers’ destinies are not always in their control and they must rely on others to help push them to the front and keep their racecars straight.

When an accident happens, it typically consumes multiple cars, and on lap 137 of the Aaron’s 499 Sunday at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, Tony Stewart was collected in a wreck not of his making.

When Brad Keselowski, despite being six laps down, was racing among the lead pack and lost control, his spinning racecar set off a chain reaction crash that collected 13 others, including Stewart and his No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet SS of Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR).

Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet SS, led the four-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent Saturday at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway by setting the seventh-fastest lap in qualifying for Sunday’s Aaron’s 499 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Patrick turned a lap of 49.109 seconds at 194.995mph on the 2.66-mile oval.

“It was an experience,” said Patrick of knockout qualifying at a restrictor-plate track, where drivers had to use the draft to set a fast time. “We weren’t in a bad spot right there at the end, but we needed one more lap.”

KANNAPOLIS, N.C., (April 30, 2014) – NASCAR was ahead of its time. 

Well before Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin made “conscious uncoupling” mainstream, NASCAR introduced the Gen-6 racecar in 2013 and consciously uncoupled the tandem draft, which had been prevalent at its two restrictor-plate racetracks – Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway – since 2011.

The new car’s uneven front and rear bumpers made the practice of tandem drafting almost impossible, as the nose of a car pushing against the lead car’s rear bumper didn’t match up, and if the issue was especially forced, the lead car would be sent spinning. It ended up creating a strained relationship.

With three wins, four second-place finishes, 11 top-fives and 19 top-10s in 30 career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway, Tony Stewart has high expectations anytime he visits the .75-mile oval. That’s why after battling an ill-handling racecar throughout Saturday night’s Richmond 400, Stewart was none too pleased with his 25th-place finish. 

In posting the second-quickest time in Friday’s final practice session, Stewart and his Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 team of Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) felt confident of their chances going into Saturday night’s 400-lap contest. 

Rain canceled today’s qualifying session for the Richmond 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race atRichmond (Va.) International Raceway. As a result, the 43-car field for Saturday night’s 400-lap event around the .75-mile oval was set by taking the fastest lap each driver posted during Friday’s first practice session, per the NASCAR rulebook.

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Outback Steakhouse Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), will start fifth. Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS for SHR, will start 20th. Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet for SHR, will start 21st. Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet SS for SHR, will start 35th.

KANNAPOLIS, N.C., (April 24, 2014) – Tony Stewart likes to win. As both a driver and an owner in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, winning is something he’s been able to do. Repeatedly. 

As a driver, Stewart has scored 48 point-paying victories along with a trio of Sprint Cup championships. Since partnering with Haas Automation founder Gene Haas to form Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) in 2009, Stewart has earned 22 point-paying Sprint Cup wins as an owner, the most recent of which came April 12 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway via Kevin Harvick.

SHR has won three of the first eight races of the 2014 Sprint Cup season. Prior to Darlington, Harvick won March 2 at Phoenix International Raceway. And in between those wins was Kurt Busch’s victory March 30 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. SHR, in just its sixth season, leads all NASCAR teams in wins in 2014.

At one point in the Southern 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Saturday night at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, Tony Stewart was two laps down and outside the top-25. But when the checkered flag waved on the 65th annual race at the venerable 1.366-mile oval, Stewart was ninth.

It was an incredible rally for Stewart, crew chief Chad Johnston and the entire No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 team of Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR.) It was the group’s fourth top-10 of the season and it moved Stewart up two spots in the championship point standings to 12th.

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Budweiser Chevrolet SS, led the four-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent Friday at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway by winning the pole for Saturday night’s Southern 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Harvick turned a lap of 26.802 seconds at 183.479 mph on the 1.366-mile oval in the final round of knockout qualifying.

It was Harvick’s seventh career Sprint Cup pole, his first of the season and his first at Darlington. Harvick last won a Sprint Cup pole at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City on Oct. 4, 2013, 13 races ago. It was also the 15th Sprint Cup pole for SHR since its inception in 2009 and the organization’s second straight, as Tony Stewart won the pole last week at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.

KANNAPOLIS, N.C., (April 10, 2014) – Sports tend to exude rich history steeped in tradition. This week two different sports visit venues where their respective roots run deep. 

One of the most nostalgic and iconic events in all of sports is taking place this week as golf makes its annual trek to a venue matched in status by the contest it hosts – the Masters at Augusta (Ga.) National Golf Club. Augusta National, designed by golfing legend Bobby Jones in 1932, is one of those rare venues that transcends its sport. The green jacket awarded annually to the Masters winner is one of the most coveted prizes in all of sports. 

Matching the historical significance of Augusta National is another iconic venue that lies a mere 145 miles north on Interstate 20, except instead of blooming azaleas lining its confines, a red-and-white checkered wall lines one’s path to glory. 

Tony Stewart scored a solid top-10 finish in the rain-postponed Duck Commander 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Monday at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. It was his third top-10 of 2014 and his 13th top-10 in 24 career Sprint Cup starts at Texas.

Stewart led the first 24 laps from the pole, the initial 10 being run under caution as NASCAR worked to confirm the track was properly dry after rain inundated the 1.5-mile oval on Sunday, which forced the race to be run on Monday.

Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet SS, led the four-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent Saturday at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth by qualifying on the pole for Sunday’s Duck Commander 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Stewart turned a lap of 27.628 seconds at 195.454 mph on the 1.5-mile oval.

It was Stewart’s 15th career Sprint Cup pole, his first of the season and his second at Texas. Stewart’s last pole came 53 races ago on Aug. 31, 2012 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It was also the 14th Sprint Cup pole for SHR since its inception in 2009.

KANNAPOLIS, N.C., (April 3, 2014) – Advantages are hard to come by in the ultra-competitive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Through the first six races of the 2014 season, six different drivers have gone to victory lane, which means teams are placing a high, albeit discreet, premium on any technological nuance that provides a competitive edge.  

For Tony Stewart, there is nothing subtle about his advantage. 

As a technology partner of Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), Mobil 1 is more than just a decal emblazoned across the hood of Stewart’s No. 14 Chevrolet SS. Led by Stewart, SHR’s stable of drivers serve as the ultimate field testers, helping Mobil 1 improve the quality of its product. 

Tony Stewart soldiered to a 17th-place finish in the STP 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The result boosted him two spots in the championship point standings to 15thsix races into the 36-race season.

Stewart started seventh in the 500-lap race around the rough-and-tumble .526-mile oval and kept his No. 14 Code 3 Associates/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS among the top-10 for the first 75 laps. But a tight-handling condition in the center of the corners abetted a lack of forward bite off the corners, and it quicklymetastasized as the race wore on, dropping Stewart outside the top-20 after 100 laps.

Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Code 3 Associates/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS, led the four-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent Friday at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway by setting the seventh-fastest lap in qualifying for Sunday’s STP 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Stewart turned a lap of 19.150 seconds at 98.883 mph on the .526-mile oval.

“I’m pretty happy. Code 3 Associates is on our car this week and the last time I drove their car, we won at Dover last year. Excited for them and excited for us,” said Stewart, a three-time Sprint Cup winner at Martinsville (October 2000, April 2006 and October 2011). “We’re battling weather here this weekend. It was supposed to rain out today and we got that in. Now they’re saying it might rain out tomorrow. If that does happen, I’m kind of comfortable with what we’ve got if we have to go straight to the race. We’ve got some things we can do to make it a little better, but all in all, our Code 3 Associates/Mobil 1 Chevrolet is a pretty balanced racecar.”

Three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart (left) is presented with lifetime membership to Code 3 Associates by president Eric Bagdikian (center) and executive assistant Jane Giese (right) on Friday, March 28 prior to Sprint Cup practice at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. (Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photography for True Speed Communication). 

Code 3 Associates (www.Code3Associates.org) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization specializing in animal rescue and recovery in disaster areas and is a partner of Stewart-Haas Racing, the Sprint Cup team Stewart co-owns with Haas Automation founder Gene Haas. The continued operation of Code 3 Associates relies totally on the generosity of donors and bravery of its responders. Membership educates the populace on pet preparedness during disasters, lends a larger voice to animal-related legislation and policy, and supports first-responder and officer training across the United States. Learn more at Code 3 Associates’ Facebook page: http://on.fb.me/1hisA98  

KANNAPOLIS, N.C., (March 27, 2014) – NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers see highs and lows throughout the course of a season. More often than not, the glory of the highs is found in shifting from the lows.

Much like the Tideway in England’s famed River Thames, where the tide rises and falls twice a day by up to 24 feet, Tony Stewart has experienced his share of tidal activity in the first five races of 2014. Finishes of 35th, 16th and 33rd to start the season have been offset by back-to-back top-fives, righting his ship as it sails upward in points from 32nd to 17th.

For the second straight week, Tony Stewart and his No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) team faced adversity. And for the second straight week, Stewart and Co. overcame it, earning their second straight top-five finish.

Sunday at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., Stewart overcame a midrace spin that dropped him to last in the 43-car field. But just like last weekend at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway where Stewart finished fourth, a tenacious drive coupled with savvy pit strategy brought Stewart’s No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Chevrolet home fifth in the Auto Club 400.

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet SS, led the four-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent Friday at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., by setting the fourth-fastest lap in qualifying for Sunday’s Auto Club 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Harvick turned a lap of 38.523 seconds at 186.901 mph on the 2-mile oval.

“Just hitting a lap, time after time is the thing here, especially when you run high like that,” said Harvick, who won at Fontana in 2011. “I overdrove it around (Turn) 2 and under drove it around (Turn) 3, but giving up a tenth was a lot better than giving up four (tenths). All in all, we’re pretty happy with our Jimmy John’s Chevy. That’s the first time that we’ve made it to the final round of qualifying since this new knockout system was implemented.”

KANNAPOLIS, N.C., (March 19, 2014) – In more ways than one, this week is a rush for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR). 

Teams rushed to get back from what turned out to be a Sunday night race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway as rain pushed the afternoon race to a primetime affair. The four-car SHR operation diligently rushed to turn cars, equipment and trucks around for the trip to the left coast for Sunday’s Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. – the third western race of the very young 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. 

And the rush won’t stop once SHR finally touches down in Southern California. Tony Stewart will make sure of it. 

Tony Stewart earned his best result of the still young 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season by finishing fourth in the rain-delayed Food City 500 Sunday at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.

It was an impressive outing considering Stewart started the race 37th in the 43-car field. His No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) was a handful on Friday in the weekend’s opening practice, and that day’s qualifying session proved no better. But in the two practices on Saturday, Stewart and crew chief Chad Johnston made incremental gains, and they ended the final practice session with a Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevy that had a fighting chance for Sunday.

Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet SS, led the four-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent Friday at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway by setting the 13th-fastest lap in qualifying for Sunday’s Food City 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Busch turned a lap of 14.953 seconds at 128.322 mph on the .533-mile oval.

“When you’re measuring things by thousands of a second, it’s so tight,” said Busch, who has five Sprint Cup wins at Bristol (March 2002, March 2003, August 2003, March 2004 and March 2006). “We went out too early in that first run. We ran a .78 in practice in our Haas Automation Chevy and we backed that up with a .95. That’s not what you need to do.”

KANNAPOLIS, N.C., (March 11, 2014) – The expression “When the going gets tough, the tough get going” can easily apply to Tony Stewart and the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 team of Stewart-Haas Racing.

Stewart’s toughness has been on display for the last six months as the three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion has come back from a severely broken right leg suffered in a sprint car crash last August. Stewart has undergone three surgeries, endless physical rehabilitation and the pain associated with each. 

The best view Tony Stewart had of Las Vegas Motor Speedway was in his rearview mirror as he left the 1.5-mile oval on Sunday following the Kobalt 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.

The 267-lap contest was a forgettable one for Stewart. His No. 14 Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet SS proved to be a handful throughout the two-and-a-half-hour race.

“Loose” is how Stewart constantly described his racecar, and no matter what crew chief Chad Johnston did in an attempt to solve the car’s ill-handling ways, nothing made a lasting impact. Stewart ended the race in 33rd position, four laps down.

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet SS, led the four-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent Friday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway by setting the 16th-fastest lap in qualifying for Sunday’sKobalt 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Harvick turned a lap of 28.184 seconds at 191.598 mph on the 1.5-mile oval in the second qualifying round.

“We struggled in qualifying trim,” said Harvick, who has three top-five finishes in 13 Sprint Cup starts at Las Vegas. “We struggled in race trim, too, but we got a lot better in Thursday’s test and the practices earlier today. We had a vibration in the center of the corners and that killed our speed off the corners. The Jimmy John’s Chevrolet is really good in race trim, so we’re happy with where we’re at.”

KANNAPOLIS, N.C., (March 5, 2014) – When Tony Stewart comes to Las Vegas, he comes to win. The difference between Stewart and most others who come to Sin City is that Stewart actually emerges victorious, be it on the racetrack or on the tables of the MGM Grand.

Stewart is a savvy poker player, and that works well for him behind the wheel of a racecar too. The driver of the No. 14 Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series has 48 career wins, and among that tally is a 2012 victory at Las Vegas.

Tony Stewart had a solid top-10 finish in his grasp Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway until an ill-timed caution with less than 65 laps remaining in The Profit on CNBC 500k NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race left Stewart with a 16th-place finish.

Stewart had piloted his No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS from 20th in the 43-car field to as high as eighth on lap 235 of the 312-lap race. A routine, green-flag pit stop on lap 237 for four tires and fuel set Stewart up for a strong run to the finish.

Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet SS, led the four-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent Friday at Phoenix International Raceway by setting the 10th-fastest lap in qualifying for Sunday’s The Profit on CNBC 500k NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Busch turned a lap of 26.078 seconds at 138.047 mph on the 1-mile oval in the final qualifying round.

“A top-10 start is good, but we wanted better,” said Busch, who won at Phoenix in 2005. “We had the Haas Automation Chevrolet up to fourth in the first session and had a plan in place to make a run at the top-five in the second session. We made a small air pressure adjustment that we thought might get us there, but unfortunately it made it so we couldn’t rotate the center of the corner and that hurt us. We’ll be fine. We have some work to do in race trim, so hopefully we get some practice time tomorrow, but we’ll be in a good spot when it’s time to race.”

KANNAPOLIS, N.C., (Feb. 26, 2014) – After missing the final 15 races of the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season with a broken right leg, Tony Stewart climbed back in his No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS last week at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway without missing a beat.

He drove in three races – the Sprint Unlimited, Budweiser Duel and Daytona 500 – and each time he sat behind the wheel, Stewart likened the comfort of his seat to an old pair of tennis shoes.

With Daytona behind Stewart and Phoenix International Raceway next up for the three-time Sprint Cup champion, Stewart ratchets up his comfort level.

After a six-hour and 22-minute rain delay subdued the momentum of the 56th Daytona 500, a fuel pressure issue subdued Tony Stewart’s run in the season-opening NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. He finished 35th.

The problem reared its head on lap 94 when Stewart radioed to crew chief Chad Johnston that his fuel gauge was “jumping all around” and that his engine “laid down” on exit of the track’s corners. Stewart tried to wait the problem out until a caution appeared, but the problem worsened and Stewart was forced to pit under green on lap 101 of the 200-lap race.

With little to gain and everything to lose, Tony Stewart took a smart and conservative approach in the Budweiser Duel Thursday night at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, twin qualifying races that set the 43-car field for the season-opening Daytona 500. 

Already having to start at the back of 56th Daytona 500 on Sunday, Stewart knew risking his No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS for a strong finish in his Budweiser Duel race offered little reward. An unapproved engine change on Saturday prior to qualifying meant Stewart would start at the back of the 43-car Daytona 500 field, no matter his finish in the Budweiser Duel. But Stewart still had to race and earn at least a top-15 finish to ensure that his new-for-2014-teammate, Kurt Busch, would make the Daytona 500.

After waiting nearly seven months to get back in his No. 14 Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet SS and race, Tony Stewart didn’t waste any time getting racy in the Sprint Unlimited Saturday night at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

Stewart, who broke his right leg in a sprint car crash on Aug. 5, 2013, waited only five laps before ducking to the inside lane to see how his car would react in the draft. For the next 30 laps, Stewart ebbed and flowed with the draft, dropping to as low as 17th before running as high as third.

KANNAPOLIS, N.C., (Feb. 11, 2014) – With snow falling as teams departed North Carolina for the warmth of Daytona Beach, Fla., the summer of 2013 seemed a long time ago, where hot and humid days ran together. 

But there’s one date in particular – Monday, Aug. 5 – that stands out for those at Stewart-Haas Racing and the NASCAR industry as a whole. It was late in the evening when at a dirt track in Iowa, Tony Stewart, the three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and driver of the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS he co-owns with Haas Automation founder Gene Haas, crashed his sprint car and flipped, breaking his right tibia and fibula.