Tony Stewart has silenced the critics

If there are any critics remaining concerning Tony Stewart’s decision to leave his championship team at Joe Gibbs Racing to start anew with Haas CNC Racing as a part-owner, they are some stubborn sons (or daughters) of guns.

I admit, I was a huge critic.  Stewart became synonymous with the orange number 20 and the Home Depot.  He was the face of Joe Gibbs Racing, and his relationship with crew chief Greg Zipadelli seemed indissoluble.  He won two championships with the organization that eased him into stock cars over a decade ago after winning the 1997 IRL title.  Why would he leave the comfortable setting at Joe Gibbs Racing at this point in his career?

I figured he would improve the Haas organization, but I figured the team would be top fifteen, maybe top twelve at best.  After all, they have access to Hendrick Motorsports resources.  A win at a restrictor plate track or a road course seemed to be Stewart and teammate Ryan Newman’s most logical prospects.

However, Stewart’s team has been a top five team since the drop of the green flag at Daytona in February, and while Newman’s team had some misfortune and performance issues early in the season, he is now one of NASCAR’s fast risers in the Sprint Cup standings, sitting on three consecutive top five finishes in points paying races.

When the Sprint Cup series arrived in Concord, North Carolina for the All-Star extravaganza, it involved the best of the best, and Stewart-Haas Racing was the best. 

Ryan Newman perhaps had the most impressive run of the night, even more so than race winner Stewart.  Newman was running in the top ten in the first segment when something starting dragging behind the splitter.  The problem put Newman a lap down, and as the second segment reached its final laps, he nearly lost another lap to leader Jimmie Johnson.  Johnson was unable to lap Newman, and he remained in the hunt. 

After a number of pit stops, the issue was apparently resolved, and in the final ten-lap segment, Newman drove from ninth and found himself battling Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon for the lead with eight laps to go. As he was making his way into the lead, Gordon’s car got loose, as he slid into Busch, pinching Newman into the wall.  He cut a tire and his night ended in disappointment, but he clearly had the car to beat in the final segment.

“It should have been Ryan Newman here first,” said the exuberant Stewart in victory lane. 

It was Stewart in victory lane, and he earned it.  He passed Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth en route to his first All-Star triumph.  The All-Star race was one of the crown jewels that eluded him.  It was only fitting that he won it with his own team. 

It was also fitting that co-owner Gene Haas was in attendance for the first time since his release from prison. 

“I wanted him (Gene Haas) to be proud when he got here, proud of what we’ve done and proud of what he’s been such a huge part of putting together,” Stewart said. 

After years of struggling with a revolving door of drivers, Gene Haas finally has reason to be optimistic.  There is no doubt that he is proud of what Stewart and company have accomplished in such a short period of time. 

Prior to the season, I was not even sure that Stewart could qualify for the Chase for the Championship, now winning the championship is a plausible expectation.