Rantin' & Racin': How The Chase Was Lost
DALLAS (105.3 THE FAN) - 4 seconds. That's how long it took for Tony Stewart's 2013 season to blow up in, pardon the pun, smoke.
Monday night the three time NASCAR Champion fractured his right tibia and fibula running his sprint car at Southern Iowa Speedway, driving for a sprint car team that he owns.
What's a sprint car? Imagine a 700-900 horse-powered engine strapped to the front of a 4 wheeled cocoon that goes sliding around on short dirt ovals. It's a major stepping stone to the NASCAR ranks, just ask Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman, and oh-yeah...Tony Stewart.
The bottom line is this: Stewart is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver. He even owns the race team he drivers for. That's his main focus. The goal every year is the same, right? To win the championship. Running a sprint car race, with it's inherit dangers, is not a part of that main focus. Stewart hurt his own race team, sponsors, fans, and title aspirations by taking that risk. I understand that he's a "small town" track supporter, but he is paid to run for the big boy trophy.
Stewart will miss the Chase by sitting out and missing races. The three time champ is currently 11th in the Standings, holding one of the two wild card spots, with 5 races left. It's still unknown how long he will be out, but once he misses two, it's over. Stewart's loss is everyone's gain. Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr, and a handful of bubble drivers are now chomping at the bit.
The good news in all this – Stewart is ok and will one day soon return. The bad news – Stewart's fans won't see him this weekend, the next, and so on.
Once the 42 year old is released from the hospital, maybe the team owner side of Stewart will have a little talk with the driver side of Stewart.
What's your take? Agree or disagree? I want to know! Bring it NASCAR nation.
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