Tony Stewart continues to amaze many and beat the odds in his first year as an owner/driver. He continues to praise all of those involved in his success this year except himself … He’s just enjoying the unexpectedly successful and fantastic ride this year. (And who can blame him??)
Now, this is just a fan’s view (and I don’t think I’m alone in this thinking), I haven’t seen Tony Stewart as calm and, Yes, happy as he has been this year. Of course, I know that things are going pretty good for him so far and if things begin to go downhill he may react differently, but he is quite a different person than he was, say, three years ago.
I will even go one step further in my personal assessment of Tony Stewart; I noticed a change in him when he took ownership of Eldora Speedway. He found something that put him in a whole different demeanor. I am happy for him and it has been an interesting and pleasant transition. He seems to enjoy being in an ownership position and it seems he has become more appreciative of those he has surrounded himself with to accomplish the success his team is enjoying at this present time.
While we’re talking about surprises, how about Marcos Ambrose. I find him very talented and refreshing. I don’t think I’ve seen or heard anyone in Nascar express with the same enthusiasm their thankfulness for actually being able to be in Nascar. Yes, I know many do mention it in passing statements and then they move on to other things, but Marcos actually left his homeland of Australia to come to America and race in Nascar.
Is he performing? Well, you be the judge. We know how well he drives a road course, that’s his forte. Considering some of the others that have tried to make the move to Nascar from other places, Marcos has adapted well and, this is just my opinion as a fan, he just needs more seat time in the car and he will be someone everyone will consider a contender to win every week. I can’t say I’m surprised; he has been impressing me since last year.
Just a quick word or two about the accident involving Sam Hornish Jr, Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton. I think it is to Nascar’s credit that none of the three was seriously injured. It is because they have paid attention to keeping the driver as safe as possible even when the unexpected happens. In days past, it is possible that one or more of them may have had to be hospitalized. My hat is off to all who have taken it upon themselves to make the dangerous sport of motoracing safer with all of the safety equipment developed, and being improved and developed, over the last several years. We’ve all seen, (several times), what hitting the tires can do to throw the cars back out onto the racing surface at places like the Glen and I agree with those that are calling for something to be done.
After all is said and done, I don’t expect Nascar not to take action on this situation and next year we will see something new to take care of this particular situation. I do think the tires will be replaced by something less bouncy and more able to absorb and dissipate the energy of the impact of a car. This is a situation that Nascar generally handles quite well, especially considering the possibilities of severe injury to one or more drivers. I have no doubt, they won’t wait for something worse to happen…they will handle it soon.
See ya next time …
Rusty
(all views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer)
© August 13, 2009 – all rights reserved
Just A Fan’s View and Rusty Norman