Every NASCAR fan has a favorite driver. Mine happens to be Mr. Tony "Smoke" Stewart, new owner of Stewart-Haas racing. What I will do with all of my orange Home Depot #20 stuff, I don't know, although I will wish Joey Logano, a very young rookie taking over in that car, good luck in 2009.
Tony joined the top-level series with Joe Gibbs racing in 1999, and has a career 14 poles, 33 race wins, 129 top 5's, 207 top 10's, and only finished outside the top ten for the season once--in 2006, when he finished 11th. He is temperamental and outspoken, but I see that as a manifestation of his drive to win.
He's a smart guy--he runs a dirt track in Ohio and has several lower-level open wheel teams--and he has surrounded himself with experienced people. Regretfully, I don't think Tony will have the kind of success he demands of himself this first year in his new ride. Times are tough in NASCAR--they're not even allowing testing this year before races. And Tony is a driver who thrives on consistency, where a new team is still developing. Of course I will be happy if I'm proved wrong, and Tony the driver is talented enough to drive anything to victory lane at least once. But the distractions of 2008 were frustrating for Tony, and I don't see that changing in the new shop right away.
Wow, a Stewart fan! I take it you're not afraid of a little controversy! ;) So who's your new guy if things aren't looking good for Tony?
ReplyDeleteWell, first true love never dies, does it? But stay tuned--I'm planning on quite a few posts on drivers I think will do well (Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon, duh) as well as up-and-coming drivers who I think have a real shot at having breakout seasons this year. And there is one in there who's been waiting in the wings, ready to step into the spotlight that being my favorite driver (or at least most likely to challenge JJ for the trophy) brings...
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