CUP: Tony Stewart Q&A Transcript From Sydney

Sprint Cup

CUP: Tony Stewart Q&A Transcript From Sydney

Two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Tony Stewart has arrived in Australia for an end of year holiday...

SPEED Staff | Posted December 22, 2009 Sydney (AUS)

Two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Tony Stewart landed in Sydney Tuesday. (Photo: BAM Media/Paul Carruthers)

Tony Stewart will pilot the Garry Rush-owned No. 14 car at Tyrepower Parramatta City Raceway in Australia. (Photo: BAM Media/Paul Carruthers)

Two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Tony Stewart has arrived in Australia for an end of year holiday. He will be combining this holiday with four nights of racing in a sprintcar at Tyrepower Parramatta City Raceway with his first night of racing coming on December 26 in the Valvoline Sprintcar Grand Prix. He will then contest the Hogs Breath International on December 29 followed by the $50,000 to win Scott Darley Memorial Race on January 2nd and 3rd.

After landing in Sydney Tuesday morning, Stewart met with several members of the Australian media on the Sydney Harbor in front of two Australian icons, the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbor Bridge.

Question and Answer Transcript

Q: Welcome to Australia, it has been a long time since you've been here. How did this all come about?

A: I got a chance to come over for vacation is how it started and then having Donny Schatz come over be running the sprintcar over here, it was a situation where I could be coming to watch him. So why not come over and what him at the same time?

Q: It has been a long year in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Season for you, talk us through the year. I believe it has been a couple of years since you've had a holiday.

A: Yeah, it was. Having the start of Stewart-Haas Racing during the off-season I spent a lot of time in Charlotte and didn't get much of an off-season, so basically it was like having one gigantic long season that went through two years. It is nice to get a break to be able to come over here and come over here to enjoy myself.

Q: How would you rate your first year as a driver/owner in the top level of NASCAR?

A: I think considering we got both of our cars in the Chase I was pretty excited about that. It was something that no other organization got 100% of their cars in the chase, for Ryan and I to both get in there I thought was pretty good. We won five races. Ryan got two poles for us. For a first year team I thought that was a pretty good season.

Q: You're such a busy man. You're a racecar driver, a race team owner in the NASCAR Sprint Cup, the World of Outlaws and USAC, you are the owner or co-owner of several tracks, how do you keep up with it all?

A: (laughs) It's hard to. Days like today we're doing media stuff and that's part of it. You know that there are a lot of commitments that take up a lot of time. It's all about having good people around you that you can trust, that's half the battle. That's why I'm able to come here on vacation, knowing that I've got a good group of people back in Charlotte that are taking care of the race team while I'm gone.

Q: Sprintcar racing is obviously a huge passion for you. What does it mean to you to get back on the dirt track?

A: I get to race dirt late model three or four times per year and sprintcar two or three races per year so to come over here and run four nights in a two week period is something that I don't normally get a chance to run that many races so close together so I'm excited about it. It's a great opportunity to run with Donny (Schatz) as a teammate and anytime you're team-mate has won the World of Outlaw title for four straight years and four Knoxville Nationals in a row, it is somebody that you want for a team-mate.

Q: Speaking of teammates, the Tony Stewart Racing operation in the World of Outlaws recently announced Steve Kinser will be joining the team.

A: Yeah, to have a different teammate for Donny is pretty exciting. To have the winningest driver in World of Outlaws history as Donny's teammate is something that we're excited about. I feel as though we've got the two best drivers in the series, there is no better way of upping your odds to win races or championships than to have those two guys behind the wheel.

Q: For those that don't know about sprintcar racing, what is it about the sport that keeps you coming back?

A: Most of the time, we have got more horsepower than what we can use and that is what makes it fun and makes the drivers do their job behind the steering wheel, you can just hold it to the floor and drive around. I mean you have to pedal these cars. Anytime that you're running a car that has 850 horsepower that only weighs 1200 pounds, that's a huge power to weight ratio and makes it hard to control. You just look at them, I mean they don't look like something that just rides around real easy.

Q: Do you like getting back onto the dirt?

A: I love dirt, I always have. You know that's what I did when I came over here in 95, I think I ran 10 or 11 dirt races when I was here. That was definitely the highlight of my trip.

Q: You are used to the big crowds and the big money, I'm still not quite sure why is that your coming to a local speedway in Australia?

A: Why not?

Q: Is it just the love of dirt racing and sprintcar racing?

A: Oh yeah, I get a vacation and I was going to come and watch Donny race on my vacation, so why not race myself? If I'm already going to be here, I might as well race too. I mean it was literally that simple. It's not a difficult equation for me to figure out. At home this (weather) would be 70 or 75 degrees and when I left yesterday it was snowing, I think I'd rather be here. I think if I'm going to be here and there is going to be sprintcar races, I think I'd like to go sprintcar racing. It's pretty easy for me to decide.

Q: How many people are you traveling with?

A: Just the three of us.

Q: You'll all be racing?

A: Two of us, myself and Donny Schatz will be racing.

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