Two-time NASCAR Nextel Cup Champion Tony Stewart will not race in the Knoxville Late Model Nationals, which runs Thursday through Saturday in Knoxville Iowa.
He will however sign autographs for the first 750 fans to fill Knoxville Raceway’s grandstands for Saturday’s championship show.
“As much as I wanted to race in the Late Model Nationals at Knoxville, I thought it would take away my main focus of winning a Nextel Cup championship,” Stewart, who will compete in Sunday’s Cup race at Kansas Speedway, said in a news release Monday night. “We have over 400 people back at Joe Gibbs Racing pouring everything they have into giving me the best race cars possible to win a third championship. I owe it to them to remain healthy and focused on achieving that goal.”
Sounds like the right decision to me! Go Smoke!!!
CHICKEN!
Chicken? The only thing that might scare him is having Joe Gibbs chews his butt for racing outside of the Chase and risk doing something to take himself out. He almost came out that melee at Dover with the lead in the Chase. Pretty smart to preserve himself for what really counts.
Yea! Good move Tony! We need Cup #3!
And… to all you who say he is an a-hole… you try signing your name 750 times!
I agree hes running for a championship he shouldnt be racing anything but cup,carl edwards got hurt afew weeks ago racing late models,im sure gibbs and home depot would be real happy if he got hurt and ruined rest of season smart move tony.
Good move Tony!
And he has the heart to sign autographs 750 times..he thinks about his fans and respects all of them that go out to these races to see him.
Right on Smoke! The championship is numero uno! Bring it home to Indiana! Gotta love a guy like Smoke who knows what is important, his fans and the cup.
Well as much as I like his thinking…I still don’t want him to win the championship!