Tony Stewart trying to block out Ward incident as he preps for Watkins Glen
If you’re looking for a track that encapsulates Tony Stewart’s Sprint Cup Series career, Watkins Glen is a pretty good start.
Stewart has won five times at the Glen, the most of any Sprint Cup Series driver. But he’s also missed the last two races at the track. In 2013, he was absent because he broke his leg in a sprint car crash in Iowa. In 2014, he struck and killed Kevin Ward Jr. in a sprint car race the night before the Glen race at Canandaigua Motorsports Park.
“I don’t think I’ll ever be the same from what happened the last two years” Stewart said Wednesday night at Texas Motor Speedway. “I don’t know how you could be, I don’t know how anyone could be back to exactly the way they were. Not being back to exactly the same I was doesn’t mean I won’t become better in some ways. I think there’s always positives that come out of every scenario.”
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The three-time Sprint Cup Series champion also said that he’s trying not to think about the upcoming anniversary of Ward’s death. Stewart, who said the incident was an accident, was not criminally charged. He struck Ward when Ward had gotten out of his car to confront Stewart’s on track after hitting the wall.
“I’m trying to not think about it, you guys are the first ones to bring it up this week,” he said. “So unfortunately I have a feeling it’s going to get brought up a lot this week but doesn’t help you continue to move forward with it.”
Even before the past two seasons, Stewart’s Watkins Glen weekends have included turmoil. In 2002 (and as seen in Random Recap), he won his first race at the road course a week after he punched a photographer at Indianapolis and was punished by Joe Gibbs Racing and NASCAR. In 2004, he was incredibly sick. And got his second win.
Stewart’s career has been defined by his responses to adversity; he’s had an incredible ability to block out distractions and excel as a driver. It’s a trait that’s fueled the belief of many that he’ll get back to victory lane despite his struggles over the past two-plus years. And it’s a trait he’ll have to count on again this weekend as the cloud of what happened last year looms.
Sunday’s also a great opportunity to get his first back-to-back top 10s of the season after he finished ninth at Pocono on Sunday. Though he hasn’t won at Watkins Glen since 2009, Stewart ran well at Sonoma. Consecutive good finishes could be his team’s necessary boost of confidence.
“It’s a race that we always look forward to,” Stewart said. “We’ve had a lot of success there and it’s just fun … And when you’ve won five races, it gives you that confidence that you know how to win, and know what you have to do to get to victory lane. I know what feel I need when we get here. It’s just a matter of going out and practicing and putting yourself in that position.”
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
