Did anybody read the Tony Stewart article in the new ESPN Magazine?

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4xchampncountin

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I just got done reading it. It was pretty good. Not a whole lot hard core racing fans didn't already know, but it was very good reading anyway.

I did find a few of his quotes interesting. One in particluar was "I won't retire from racing as a Winston Cup driver, as soon as I make enough money to maintain the lifestyle I enjoy right now, without having to work another day-I'm gone. And the next day I'll be on a dirt track somewhere, hitting it".

This is in the July 8th 2002 ESPN The Magazine. I would recommend anyone read it.
 
I really think Tony will leave the sport as soon as he can! If you don't love Nascar it is too hard to continue on the pace that these guys have to, to keep up!

I think Tony should be running Cart or IRL, more his style of racing and it would free up a lot of his time for other types of racing!

Smoke will go down in history right along with Mario and AJ !
 
The rest of the article spends a lot of time talking about his love for the dirt track. I was surpised to read that he said that myself, but it is right there in print.
 
Tony Loves the Dirt, that is where he really wants to be, but he does realize that he can make a much better life for himself in Nascar!

I just hope Tony wins a Nascar title before he leaves !!!!!

i think that will give him the money he wants to go on to better things !!!!!
 
Humm.....if Tony's heart isn't in the sport then he's going to have a hard time winning a title. I've always thought that he had the talent to win a few titles in Winston Cup but after hearing such comments as those then I'd have to wonder. If he's only in it for the money then I don't think he would ever win a title. I'm kinda suprised to hear him say those types of things. I do hope he stays around for a while though. I hate to see a great talent such as him leave just because he made enough money to do whatever he wants.
 
I think that "Money" is the reason why Tony wants a title so bad! If he wins the title he will be set!

I believe he also wants a title for his crew and for Joe Gibbs racing!

Looks to me that Tony is really concentrating on running for points. Thats why he was so steamed on Saturday night. It sucks that the 99 and 21 took him out. Payback is a beatch!!!

I think Tony is just like your average person! He wants to have a good career and make enough money so that he can enjoy the hobbies and interests that he likes! Nascar is at the top as far as driver earnings !!!!!
 
99 and 21 did not take him out................everybody and there conspiracies................racing is part luck and Tony was unlucky............
 
I don't think "loving the sport" is nearly as important as many people make it out to be. I don't think Jeff Gordon loves racing any more than most of the guys out there who race. But, he wins more because he has more talent, determination, and a better crew and equipment than most. Tony has enough talent and drive to win a Cup. Of that, I have no doubt.
 
Thank you for posting about this ESPN article, 4x! I think once Tony wins a championship he just may "retire" from Cup and go back to dirt track racing or IRL. Time will tell I guess.
 
I just hope he doesn't leave too soon. I am just starting to actually like the guy. I can't believe I just said that!!!!! He has always been my least favorite driver, but for some reason he is starting to grow on me. It may be that all the #20 fans on here are starting to make sence. I do have to admit his competitiveness is admirable. I still think he is extremely immature, but it doesn't bother me as much as it used to.
 
He's growing on your because he's a true racer.

Best true racer to come into the sport in years.

For one, I hope he doesn't limit himself to only NASCAR, I hope he achieves his goal and moves on, as he has done all throughout his entire career.

NASCAR may be entertaining for us, but I have a feeling all that money comes at a huge sacrifice to the drivers.

He's won the championship in every single type of car he's run. From Silver Crowns to IRL cars.

Again, I applaud Tony for his honesty...I would bet the farm he isn't the only driver out there that thinks the same way.
 
Tony is now a household name in the sport...he wont leave
 
I've liked Tony since he first moved over to Nascar, and was surprised in a way that he has yet to win a championship.

Temperment, maturity, etc. seem to be getting there.
 
Tony is the man! Incredibly giving person. When he was up here in Minnesota, he signed autographs for 5 hours before going over to Wisconsin and racing at Cedar Lake Speedway. He told us all, he'd rather be with us on a short track, than at Daytonna. :D
 
this dosent surprise me at all, Tony wants to be running sprint cars of late models of whatever, on dirt tracks at his own schedule, but, you can't make a real good living on dirt, so he runs NASCAR a while and picks up a few checks, until he can do what he wants to, running on the short tracks of America

P.S. the 99 wasn't even near him when he wrecked
 
I'm not surprised at all by this, Tony has never been shy about stating that if it wasn't for the money he wouldn't be racing in WC. I think last year he made these comments quite frequently.
Thought some of you might like this article that was on the Motorsports TV site.

SAN FRANCISCO


Tony Stewart is a liar.


Don't get mad at me for saying that about last year's Dodge/Save Mart 350 champion. The guy calls himself a liar. He broadcasts it. "I think it's terrible," he said at Thursday's luncheon to publicize Sunday's Winston Cup race at Sears Point. "I feel like I'm lying to race fans because I can't tell them what's going on."


Well, let's back up a minute and figure out what's happening here. Stewart was sitting at a table in a fancy San Francisco restaurant blabbing with the press. He wasn't actually eating. He'd already taken care of that in some hole-in-the-wall dive because he thinks places like that are more authentic and better. One reporter, trying to suck up to him -- we all were doing that so he'd give good quotes -- said he's a kinder, gentler Tony Stewart.


Stewart frowned as if the reporter had criticized his mom. Then he launched into a speechlet. "I'm not so sure I'd call it kinder, gentler," he said. "I don't speak my mind as much. Right or wrong, I always find a way to offend people. Our sport is so clean, if I say something off-center, I create havoc. Pick a topic. If I speak honestly about it, I'd spend the next four weeks covering my tracks. People who praise me for speaking my mind also stick a knife in my back."


He looked around the table. He was talking about us. All I had was a butter knife, and it was in full view. Some slick reporter asked Stewart to give an example of a topic that got him in trouble. "I won't touch that," Stewart said. "Nice try. Obvious, but nice try." He smiled. "Now I say, 'The tires are good and the track is good.' "


In other words, he used to have a big mouth, but lying -- or shying away from the truth -- creates less hassle. He has a reputation for being grumpy, moody. Word's out that he's more cooperative -- that's part of the kinder, gentler deal. But when asked about that, he said, "I've tried to be less accommodating this year."


Less accommodating? Gee, here's a NASCAR guy bragging about having a baseball player's mentality. "My job is to drive the car, not be a media spokesman for three days each weekend," he said. "If I don't focus on my job, I may not be here in three years. I may be driving a truck series or the Busch series."


OK, so don't be a pal, Tony. But what's all this fuss about, anyway? One veteran sportswriter who covers NASCAR said that in the past, Stewart took issue with NASCAR policy about rules and changes and the safety harness. He took issue with just about everything. He did it publicly. When the inevitable heat came down, he'd have to explain, apologize or whatever. It always seemed he was the lightning rod for NASCAR controversy.


"We all loved him because he was outspoken," the writer told me. "Then he shut down because he got in trouble. Basically, he went into hiding. This is the most public he's been all year."


At that moment, Stewart didn't seem to mind being public. He was quite relaxed. He said Saturday night he's going to race at Altamont. This was an amazing revelation from a Winston Cup big deal when you consider Altamont is the minor leagues and the big race is the next day. Stewart said he can crash or blow an engine at Altamont without any consequences -- unless he gets killed.


He was honest about all that, and everyone appreciated it. But when it came to other stuff, to the NASCAR nitty-gritty, he said, "People who say honesty is the best policy have never been Winston Cup drivers."
 
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