Tony Stewart A Not-So Secret Weapon

Advantages are hard to come by in the ultra-competitive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Through the first six races of the 2014 season, six different drivers have gone to victory lane, which means teams are placing a high, albeit discreet, premium on any technological nuance that provides a competitive edge. 

For Tony Stewart, there is nothing subtle about his advantage.

As a technology partner of Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), Mobil 1 is more than just a decal emblazoned across the hood of Stewart’s No. 14 Chevrolet SS. Led by Stewart, SHR’s stable of drivers serve as the ultimate field testers, helping Mobil 1 improve the quality of its product.

Through its alliance with SHR, Mobil 1 works to find efficiencies under the most extreme conditions, ultimately allowing the drivers to get the most out of their racecars on a weekly basis. The brand’s engineers collaborate with SHR throughout the season to explore ways to improve the performance of the Mobil 1 lubricants used by the team.

SHR has already leveraged those proficiencies to the tune of a series-leading two victories in 2014 – Kevin Harvick at Phoenix International Raceway and Kurt Busch last Sunday at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. Taking advantage of those same efficiencies is what Stewart expects to do Sunday in the Duck Commander 500 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, where Stewart is already a two-time Sprint Cup race winner.

While Texas has a notorious reputation of featuring races that come down to fuel mileage – a complication that places a significant premium on achieving optimal fuel efficiency – Stewart knows what it takes to get the most out of his racecar when it comes to racing at the 1.5-mile oval. 

In 23 career Sprint Cup starts at Texas dating back to 1999, Stewart has scored a pole, six top-five and 12 top-10 finishes in addition to his two wins. He’s led a total of 727 laps – third-best among active Sprint Cup drivers – and has completed all but 105 of the laps available to him for a lap completion rate of 98.6 percent.

It was during Stewart’s most recent Texas win where he and his Mobil 1-infused Chevy were models of proficiency, dominating the 2011 November race by leading seven times for a race-high 173 laps. It moved Stewart to within three points of leader Carl Edwards in the championship standings with just two races remaining. Stewart went on to win the 2011 championship, adding to the titles he earned in 2002 and 2005.

Stewart’s first Texas win came in similar fashion, for in November 2006 Stewart led eight times for a race-high 278 laps.

Augmenting his Sprint Cup success at Texas, Stewart has an IROC win (April 2006) and three IndyCar Series starts that saw him lead from the pole twice en route to racking up 208 of a possible 624 laps led (33.4 percent).

With two SHR drivers having already reached victory lane, Stewart plans to join the party, thanks to an assist from Mobil 1, the world’s leading synthetic motor oil brand.

TSC PR