Stewart discusses the challenges of Kentucky Speedway with the media

TONY STEWART, NO. 14 OFFICE DEPOT/MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET, met with members of the media at Kentucky Speedway and discussed the challenges of racing at Kentucky Speedway, racing in the Lou Blaney memorial race and much more.

Tony Stewart, Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet

Photo by: Action Sports Photography

HOW WAS IT OUT THERE TODAY? “It’s slick. We are just struggling trying to get the car tight enough on entry right now. I think we made a lot of gains that second session. We are still working on it.”

WHEN A DRIVER DECIDES TO MOVE ON AND GO TO ANOTHER TEAM WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES HOW DO YOU KEEP YOUR GUYS FOCUSED? “It’s just you are professionals. We are here to do a job each week and everybody does that. They are not going to have any problems doing that. They will be fine.”

YOU ARE WITHIN A COUPLE HOURS OF YOUR HOME TOWN IS IT KIND OF NICE TO RACE SOMEWHAT WHERE YOU GREW UP? “I’m still having to sleep in the infield tonight it doesn’t really change anything unfortunately. It only counts when you actually get to go home. It’s like horseshoes and hand grenades close doesn’t count. You want to be home. I want to be at my house.”

ARE YOU HAPPY WITH WHERE YOUR TEAM IS RIGHT NOW? “I guess. I think some parts of it we are struggling with some parts we are doing alright with. The good thing and the thing I’m really proud of is our guys are very focused right now. They have had to work really hard this last month with the schedule so I feel like our guys are doing a really good job.”

WHERE ARE YOU STRUGGLING? “If I told you that everybody would know. (Laughs)”

LAST WEEKEND DANICA HAD A GREAT RACE OBVIOUSLY AT THE END WE ALL SAW WHAT HAPPENED AND TONY (EURY) JR. SAID AFTERWARDS HE FELT LIKE MAYBE SHE IS GETTING PUSHED AROUND A LITTLE BIT. DO YOU THINK SHE NEEDS TO BE TOUGHER ON THE RACE TRACK? “I don’t know. I think she is doing just fine. She got run over by a guy that runs two Nationwide races a year and has hit everything but the pace car religiously every race. Every time everybody gets around that guy they get wrecked so it doesn’t matter whether it’s her or anybody else.”

YOU WILL BE COMPETING IN A FEW WEEKS IN THE LOU BLANEY MEMORIAL RACE WHY IS THAT SO SPECIAL TO YOU? “It’s just fun. Obviously, the Blaney’s are a great family and Dave and Dale are very passionate about Sharon (Speedway). It’s a great place. Anytime they have ever invited us we have always jumped on that chance to go.”

DAVE (BLANEY) SAID THERE IS SOME PRESSURE ON HIM AND DALE (BLANEY) BECAUSE YOU HAVE WON IT AND THEY HAVEN’T: “Dale (Blaney) is a lot better than me and Dave (Blaney) is a lot better than me in these things. I don’t think there is any pressure on them they do a pretty good job.”

HOW DO YOU THINK THE NO. 39 CAR IS DOING THIS SEASON? “I mean all you’ve got to do is look at the stats. We would like to have another win on that side but we are all just working hard trying to do the best we can.”

IT’S A FEW WEEKS AWAY BUT WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT INDY? “I’m not yet. I’m not thinking about Indy until we go to Indy that week. You can’t sit there and look that far ahead and stuff. You’ve got to be focused on where you are at each weekend and take that weekend and put a hundred percent of your thoughts and effort toward that.”

WHAT ABOUT DAYTONA NEXT WEEK? “That is next week. It’s not this week. After Saturday night I will start focusing on Daytona next week.”

WHAT IS IT ABOUT THIS TIME OF YEAR; TRACKS GET A LITTLE SLICKER YOU SEEM TO RUN A LITTLE BETTER ONCE IT GETS HOT AND SLICK? “You guys have been asking me that question for 13 years and I still don’t have a good answer for you. The good thing is for the last 13 or so years it’s been pretty consistent that this is the time of year we get going. It’s nice when you look at the calendar and realize it’s the time of year that you are pretty good.”

WHAT KIND OF CHALLENGES HAS THIS TRACK PROVIDED THIS WEEKEND SO FAR? “The interstate out there is a lot smoother than this (laughs). The bumps are the biggest thing. They need to paint some more white dashes on the track it makes it a lot slicker every time you hit a small strip of paint that is on there it is making the cars move around. It’s just challenging. It’s fun because it’s not the same as everything else that we do each week. It’s definitely a challenge trying to get the car to go through the bumps.”

Source: Team Chevy Racing