Back in the day, Al Capone ran Chicago with an iron fist. Today, Tony Stewart runs Chicago with a lead foot.
Capone, the notorious gangster, rose to prominence with nefariousness and tenacity, punishing his enemies while taking advantage of any and all opportunities that came his way. Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing, has lived life on the right side of the law, but he’s still punished his competition with his bold driving style, especially at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill.
No NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver has more wins at Chicagoland than Stewart (three). Or laps led led (431). Or has a better average finish (8.7). Or a better average running position (7.7).
Yes, Stewart owns Chicago, and he returns to the 1.5-mile oval on the outskirts of the Windy City as the defending winner of the Geico 400 and as the defending Sprint Cup champion.
Stewart won his series-leading third race at Chicagoland in 2011 after stretching his fuel mileage over the final 52 laps to win the rain-postponed Geico 400. Stewart rallied from his 26th-place starting spot to earn the first of his five victories in 2011 – all of which came in the 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. The 40th victory of Stewart’s Sprint Cup career sparked the Columbus, Ind., native’s drive to a third Sprint Cup title, where he became just the second driver to win the championship after winning the first Chase race, joining Kurt Busch who accomplished the feat in 2004.
Now Stewart is making his eighth appearance in the Chase, and for the second year in a row, the Chase begins at Chicagoland.
Stewart’s presence at Chicagoland makes even the most grizzled Chicago powerbrokers take notice. Of the 11 Sprint Cup races Chicagoland has hosted since its appearance on the Sprint Cup tour in 2001, Stewart has scored a pole, three wins, four top-twos, five top-threes and eight top-fives, and has finished outside the top-five only three times.
With a reconfigured point tally that has Stewart seeded third for this year’s Chase, just three points behind No. 1 seed Denny Hamlin, Stewart’s bid for another championship begins anew. And with Stewart’s history at Chicagoland, perhaps he’s best called “boss”.
TSC PR
- FRIDAY FEATURE – Mike Greci: Veteran Presence - March 29, 2013
- Video: Danica Patrick wrecks out at Phoenix - March 3, 2013
- Danica Patrick Phoenix Accident Quotes - March 3, 2013