Well it wouldn’t be a weekend at Watkins Glen International without Mother Nature interfering with the racing itinerary. The weather has been slightly less than optimal since Thursday evening, so with no practice sessions to talk about as of yet, the talk around the track has been centered around the biggest news of the week, the guy sitting 11th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points standings.
There has been a revolving door on the Media Center today because of the rain in the area with Drivers, Competition Directors, Track Presidents, and even the Governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo all dodging raindrops to speak to members of the media today. The topic most discussed: Tony Stewart missing his first race after 521 consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts. There is one common theme across the board with anyone talking about Smoke, there is a ton of support for Tony not only for a quick recovery but for his decision to race outside the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
Greg Zipadelli, Competition Director for Stewart-Haas racing was in the Media Center earlier today to talk about Stewart’s condition and the team’s decision to go with Max Papis as driver of the No. 14 Chevrolet SS.
Zippy on Smoke’s current condition: “I saw him Wednesday night before his surgery. I talked to him, texted, yesterday after everything went well. As good as could be expected. It’s going to be a day by day situation right now just with infections and things of that nature. Hopefully, it will turn into a week by week here probably Sunday or Monday we will know a lot more. Right now it’s a week by week deal. We will see what doctors have to say at the beginning of the week and we will go from there.”
An interesting question has been mentioned all week around folks close to the sport – what does Tony Stewart think about his current situation? Greg Zipadelli helped to answer that question earlier today:
“(Tony) felt like he has let a lot of people down, the world, his fans, so I know all the support that he has gotten from the fans and the racers here I know has helped him a lot. We talked about that and it’s cool the outreach that this area has given him.”
Smoke will be happy to know he’s got a group of supporters in his fellow NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers. Dale Earnhardt Jr. supported Tony’s decision to race his sprint car as much as he does (somewhere between 90 and 100 races each year):
” If I enjoyed road racing as much as Tony (Stewart) enjoys dirt cars then you wouldn’t give it up and I wouldn’t have. I would have gone back and done it more. “
Junior went on to talk about the affect Stewart’s absence from the driver’s seat will have in the coming weeks leading up to the 2013 Chase for the Sprint Cup:
“He’s a lot of fun to race with so you’ll miss that competition as much as everybody wants their job to be easier, you’ll miss the competition that Tony (Stewart) brings to the table every week and I think the fans will miss that as well. There’s a lot of guys in the series that are just real fun to race against. Especially when the cars are so equal and you can get out there and really get after it, he’s a lot of fun.”
Five-Time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion, Jimmie Johnson was also asked about the high likelihood of Tony Stewart not racing for a championship this year.
“Yeah, it’s a big loss for our sport and certainly I know that Tony is feeling bad about being injured and the affect that it has on his Cup team. It’s crazy to think that he won’t be a player in the Chase. It’s not something that I would have ever thought, as the year got started.”
As we all know, Tony Stewart is one of the most high-profile guys in the garage area on a weekly basis, and many in the NASCAR community look up to Smoke not only as a driver, but as a team owner, and a track owner. He is one of the most respected figures in the community, and to see him take heat from folks does not settle well when the cards do not fall in his direction.
In probably the most candid comment of the day here at Watkins Glen, Jimmie Johnson went on to express his disappointment in those giving Tony Stewart a hard time about doing what he loves.
” I look at the coverage and opinions that are flying around and its troubled me some to see people giving him (Stewart) a hard time about his decisions to race other vehicles. We always praise him for his contributions to the motorsports world and his ability to drive and race anything and to own all these different types of vehicles. And then you look at the race tracks that he owns and his involvement with. The guy has done so much for our sport and of course we don’t want to see him injured, but I’ve been disappointed that people have given him a hard time over it.”
The debate will role on as to whether drivers should choose to partake in dangerous activities outside of their Cup cars, and will only become more prevalent if Tony Stewart is, in fact, eliminated from championship contention.
A tentative revised practice schedule has been passed down from NASCAR, with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practices slated for 3:00PM and 5:35PM this afternoon.
Stay tuned all weekend for updates from Watkins Glen International and be sure to listen in as Greg, Ed Coombs and I preview the Cheez-It 355 at The Glen on Saturday at 8:00PM. Listen live at www.PrimeSportsNetwork.com and follow me on Twitter at @ML_B_Lo for updates all weekend.
