By Dick Mittman
allstate400atthebrickyard.com
Wednesday, July 30, 2003
There's a new Tony Stewart coming to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend for the 10th annual Brickyard 400.
Want proof? Then listen to how he handled the discouraging engine failure in last NASCAR Winston Cup Pennsylvania 400 on July 27 at Pocono Raceway after charging to the front from his 33rd starting position.
The old Tony Stewart would have been fuming inside, glaring on the outside.
The new Tony Stewart probably felt Sunday's disappointment just as deeply, but he controlled it and even elevated the spirits of car owner Joe Gibbs and chief mechanic Greg Zipadelli.
"Sitting in the trailer after the race was over, Joe Gibbs came in," Stewart said. "Joe had his head down, and Zippy had his head down. I looked at both of them and said: 'Hey, we had the fastest car today. We've done something that not a lot of people have done, and that's come from that far back to lead the race and have the fast car on the track.'
"To be able to do that, to find a positive in a negative, is what I've really focused on this year. When you have a good day, it's easy to focus on the good things. When you have had a bad day, it's easy to forget there is something out of the day you can take away knowing that was good."
Stewart won the pole for the Brickyard 400 last year but finished 12th, leaving Indy in a funk after becoming involved in a situation with local newspaper photographer Gary Mook in the garage area after the race. He was placed on probation by NASCAR and began anger management counseling.
Stewart also went on to win the Winston Cup championship, earned nearly $5 million in purses and awards and a made decision to be a solid representative of NASCAR during his reign as stock car racing's king of the hill.
One of the first things he did was make amends with Mook, inviting him to dinner in Kansas City. Today, Stewart says Mook is a great guy.
Now Stewart returns to Indy. It's the one place where he wants to win more than anywhere else in the world. Growing up in nearby Columbus, Ind., he cut his racing teeth driving USAC open-wheel cars and dreaming about day the he could walk the block from the USAC headquarters to the Speedway and put his name on the Borg-Warner Trophy as an Indianapolis 500 winner.
His best finish in five Indianapolis 500 starts is fifth in 1997. He's driven in four Brickyard 400s since his switch to NASCAR and fifth place, in 2000, is his top finish in that race, too.
Stewart is the only driver to have started from the pole in both races, as he started from the pole in 1996 as an Indianapolis 500 rookie.
But he hasn't won. And nothing will satisfy him at Indy until he sees that checkered flag.
That's why his emotions always run so high when he arrives at his home track.
"I have a passion about it," he said. "Sometimes you get to the point where you can overprepare, so we've tried to simplify things this year.
"I think our actions this year on and off the track have proven that we have made some significant changes with the way we deal with things. Hopefully, this year we'll be able to just concentrate on getting the Home Depot Monte Carlo a little closer to the front than we ended up in the past."
Zipadelli and Stewart have a close relationship between driver and mechanic that is necessary to win races and championships. Zipadelli said he expects the Brickyard 400 to be a test for Stewart but noted that all people are tested throughout their lives.
"When you have the competitive nature, the fire that he has, there are struggles," he said.
"We all have them. Yours are different than mine. And it is just things you learn, you work at, and you try to do better at every day of your life. That's no better than trying to quit smoking or drinking.
"We've all got little things that bother us. It just happens to be everybody can see it. Then when they can, everybody makes a much bigger deal out of it than they would if it was anybody else in the world."
Team owner Gibbs certainly sees Stewart as a driver he wants to retain. He signed Stewart originally at the Indianapolis Athletic Club while he was driving in the Indy Racing League. Now rumors are circulating that Chip Ganassi is pursuing Stewart to join his NASCAR team.
"I don't have the answer," Gibbs said when asked about re-signing Stewart, "but I would expect him to stay here.
"The most important thing for drivers I found a long time ago is do you have a place where they think they can win races. And that would be the people around them. The crew chief is obviously critical, and we know how Tony feels about Zippy. Our No. 1 job as a race team is to make sure we're in the forefront of what's going on and that any driver would think he has a chance to win in our stuff."
Stewart brushes off the contract issue, saying he still has another year to drive for Gibbs. He said his only encounter with Ganassi at Pocono was a casual "hi" in passing and that signing a new contract is not a pressing issue now.
But the Brickyard 400 is a pressing issue for Stewart. This is the 10th time for NASCAR to race at Indy. When it was first announced in 1993 that stock cars would race at the Speedway for the first time in 1994, a young Stewart was one of those who wasn't overly excited because of the track's storied history of open-wheel racing. But he's changed his mind as he's moved along in age (32), racing choice and perception.
"Now I think it's been taken to another level and another level again," he said.
Stewart said he now understands that having the Indianapolis 500, Brickyard 400 and United States Grand Prix Formula One race all at IMS elevates the Speedway's status throughout the world.
"I think as the years have gone on, people have accepted it and actually in all reality seen how good of a change it's been for Indianapolis and what it's brought to the community here," he said.
And speaking of F1, Stewart said he was excited and jealous when three-time Brickyard 400 winner Jeff Gordon got to swap rides with F1 driver - and 2000 Indianapolis 500 winner - Juan Montoya in June at the Speedway. Stewart said he would love to get the same opportunity in the future.
Stewart, who will be on NBC's "Today" show Friday morning, has another reason to enjoy his visit to Indianapolis. J.J. Yeley, who drives his USAC sprint car, is on the verge of becoming the winningest USAC driver in a single season with 20 victories, including 11 in Stewart's car. Yeley is tied with A.J. Foyt, Sleepy Tripp and Jay Drake at 19.
"He's having a dream season," Stewart said. "At the same time, I'm having a dream season as a car owner to come into the series as a first-year owner in the sprint car division and to be leading the point standings with 11 victories. I couldn't be happier as a car owner."
And he'd never be happier as a driver than if he won Sunday.
"There's something in everybody's life that they're very passionate about," he said. "To me, it's me winning at the Brickyard." ***
Tickets: Reserved-seat Race Day tickets for the Brickyard 400 remain available. Tickets for the IROC at Indy race also are available. Tickets and parking can be purchased on the World Wide Web via www.imstix.com or by calling the IMS Ticket Office at (800) 822-INDY or (317) 492-6700.
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