Tony Stewart pulls out backup car after crash at New Hampshire
Crew members on Tony Stewart's No. 14 team work on his damaged car Friday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
// David Griffin, NASCAR Scene
LOUDON, N.H. – Stewart-Haas Racing's Tony Stewart seemed more worried about the extra work he created for his team than the impact of his crash during opening NASCAR Sprint Cup practice at New Hampshire Motor Speedway Friday.
Stewart lost control and crashed and went to a backup car during the session.
"I just got loose going into the corner," Stewart said of the crash. "Goodyear came down and was worried, but it wasn't a tire problem. I just got loose, and once I got out of the groove, I just ran out of [room] - I was staying right with it, I just needed another 50 feet to finish getting gathered up and sliding up. I just ran out of race track."
Stewart said he has a lot of confidence in this backup car, which he raced to a runnerup finish at Richmond earlier this year, and its chance in Sunday's Lenox Industrial Tools 301. He was, however, worried about the additional wear on his team. While he appreciates that he can count on them to turn around the backup car - Stewart actually got out on the track in it for a few laps Friday - he wasn’t happy that they had to do so.
"The good thing and the comforting part of the situation was we've got a group of guys that I have the utmost confidence that when we get in a situation like that, that can recover from this and get a backup car out and get it ready and go out and finish the session and finish competitive," Stewart said. "From that standpoint, you're happy. You just, as a driver, you hate having to have those guys have to do that. You hate putting them in that position. These are long hard days … without having to throw bringing a backup car and all the switching that they're having to do."
"… The bad part about it, where I feel worse about it, is I made my guys have to do that much extra work and coupled with two more long days is going to make for a long day for these guys."
