Tony Stewart Interview Transcript from the 2010 Sprint Sound and Speed in Nashville

Nashville – Tony Stewart was one of the participants in the 2010 Sprint Sound and Speed in Nashville this weekend. Here is the transcript of his portion of an interview he did along with Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch. The full interview, including Hamlin and Busch, can be found at RacingNewsDaily.com.

Kerry Tharp: We have Tony Stewart. Tony drives the No. 14 Office Depot Chevrolet. Tony Stewart made history in the outstanding performance as a driver/owner for Stewart Haas Racing. We’ll just open it up for questions.

Q: Tony, you’re involved in charities through your foundation, hold an event at your racetrack. Give us details of that event, when it is.

Tony Stewart: Actually, I wish I could remember what the date is for this year already. Drawing a blank. But this will be the sixth year we’ve done it in a row. The first year I think we had 17 drivers attend. Up to date already we have 16 drivers that have already returned invitations and have committed to come next year.

Pretty excited about it. I don’t know exactly what the charity is going to be right offhand. This past year was the first year we hadn’t used Victory Junction Gang Camp as our charity. We went with the Wounded Soldiers Fund. It’s an event I’m proud of. Takes about three years off the end of my life every year we try to run this event. I learn very much that Mother Nature rules this universe. But it’s the one variable we can’t control in the equation. Probably one of the most gratifying things I do all year. It’s a huge honor to have the drivers come. Kyle and Denny have come each year.

It’s fun. We all get a chance to let our hair down, so to speak. We get to race with each other, which we get to do every week. But to run dirt late models, El Dora, a track these guys aren’t familiar with, we get to have a good time racing with each other in a different set of circumstances than normal and get to raise a lot of money for charity. Having HBO come onboard with the pay-per-view side of it has helped us raise a lot of money and it’s something we put a lot of effort into.

Q: Tony, there’s been some talk about getting rid of the wing, putting a spoiler on the car. How would that impact the racing? From an owner standpoint, is there any concern?

Tony Stewart: Well, I’m not sure there’s any concerns, but I’m sure there will be a lot of work that is involved. People will be blading it to the wind tunnel, trying to get tunnel time to find out exactly how it’s going to affect the car downforce-wise. Everybody will be making adjustments accordingly with the parameters we are allowed to change.

Whatever it is, it is. The thing is NASCAR has been through changes for 60 years, just like the economy, just like technology. So this will be just another step in that equation. That’s the fun part of our sport, is that it makes everybody have to go work. That’s what makes it gratifying if you figure it out and become successful with it.

Q: Tony, as a team owner, what do fans not realize what goes on and what are the challenges as an owner/driver?

Tony Stewart: Well, I wish I could say it was a lot harder than it is for me. I think the biggest challenge is when you’re driving, you worry about the team and you worry about all the stuff you have to do to be successful on the weekends from the driving side and the team side. When you’re an owner, you have the variable of the economics of it, too. You have to remember that you have bills to pay each month, that you’re dealing with people. You realize that every one of those people in the shop, you directly adopt as part of your family. When they’re having a bad day, I guess I take it personal. If they’re having a bad day, if there’s something that’s wrong at home with them, I feel it personally versus just being a driver. That’s probably one of the biggest thing that being an owner has shown me.

Realizing you have to be responsible for all the finances of the company, that’s probably the biggest thing from a driver to an owner.

Q: After an off-season to think about it, what is it going to take to beat Jimmie Johnson in 2010?

Tony Stewart: I tell you from my side. If we knew that, we would have done it three years ago after he won the first one. We’re hoping a rocket scientist like yourself could come up with some solutions and figure it out. Actually, never mind. We’re smarter than you. You’re right.

I don’t know. I kind of look at it as a cool part of our sport, time in our sport, to see somebody have the success that he’s had. It’s probably not going to happen like that for a long time to where somebody can put together four great years like that. It’s bad when you’re the guys that got your butt kicked by him, but it’s cool to be part of it and see an organization to be able to put together four great years like that.

Whoever is the one that dethrones him, they’re going to be wearing a crown bigger than anybody else because they’re going to take a lot of pride in saying they knocked him off of that streak finally.

Q: Tony, you had some fans in Nashville that waited 20 hours for autographs. Talk about how big your fans are.

Tony Stewart: That’s pretty cool, especially when you’ve been on vacation for two and a half weeks and you kind of have been out of the country, haven’t been around a lot of NASCAR fans, it’s nice to come home and be reminded of how dedicated the fans that we have are. It’s that way in the country music industry and the racing industry.

People that drove through snowstorms and everything to get here, I came from where I didn’t put a sweatshirt on for two and a half weeks, people drove through snow and ice to see us for a couple seconds, it’s a very flattering experience, something that you’re very grateful when you’re in this position when you have people that care about you, care about what you do, how you do it, how you influence their lives.

To be able to take a day like this, take our time and spend it with the fans is something that’s pretty cool for all of us.

Q: Tony, you’ve been really vocal in the past about restrictor plate racing, different circumstances. With the buzz about possible yellow line rule going away, the no bump-drafts in the corners, your reaction to that? Are you for a rule change like that?

Tony Stewart: I’m comfortable if they take the yellow line rule. We understood why they brought it into the series. The sport has evolved obviously since they put that rule in effect. But, you know, I think the one thing about it, I’m kind of proud of NASCAR for it because they constantly are looking at things. That’s a rule they put into effect that they’re talking about taking away now. I think the drivers would be comfortable with it. We all know what it feels like when you get in the grass with tires with no grooves in them. It’s not very fun. It’s always been a self-policing deal. Even with the yellow line deal, we would occasionally get in the grass. It gives the drivers a little more flexibility to not have to worry about — I think there were times when we got ourselves in positions where we didn’t necessarily want to be in, where we were passing guys, knew we had to give that spot up. In doing so, we caused more problems behind us than initially.

I really don’t think it would be a bad deal if they did that. I think the drivers are comfortable with that.

Q: The bump-drafting side.

Tony Stewart: Before I think it was a bigger issue than now. The nice thing with flat bumpers, we’re not picking each other up when you’re pushing each other. That seems to be last dramatic than it used to be. When we had cars that had slanted noses on them, you could get underneath them, physically pick up the back of their car, wreck ‘em. Those two things are variables that I don’t think if they change any of that it’s going to be a big drama.

Kerry Tharp: Guys, we appreciate it. We appreciate your support of this event and everything you do. Best of luck in 2010.