Q&A with Tony Stewart on his first race back

Stewart in shape and ready

TONY STEWART, NO. 14 MOBIL 1 ADVANCED FUEL ECONOMY CHEVROLET SS, spoke with the FOX broadcast team prior to the start of today’s race at Richmond International Raceway.

FOX: FOX NASCAR live from Richmond International Raceway. We thank the three-time champ Tony Stewart for joining us down on the track. it's great to have you back. what do you expect from yourself in today's race?

Tony Stewart: Honestly, I just expect to go do what I have always done for the last 36 years since I started racing. just get in and do the best I can. Mike and all these guys on the Mobile 1 Chevy team, they have done an awesome job. They had long hours starting Wednesday afternoon switching this thing over from Brian Vickers being in the car to getting my seat and everything set up for me. so they had a late, late night Wednesday night. I appreciate that. This is exactly what — if I could script this, this is what I want. it's a day race, my favorite track, no clouds in the sky. It's going to get warm. that's every piece of every variable I could ask for.

FOX: Tony, this is Jeff. It's exciting to have you back. We love the passion that you have for this sport as well as opinions that you share and speak about. unfortunately, today or this week it cost you $35,000. moving forward, will you hold back on any of those opinions?

Tony Stewart: No.

FOX: Thank you.

Tony Stewart: Here is the thing. I understand what NASCAR is trying to do. but I’m always going to speak my mind. I don't know what the key word or key phrase was that got me fined. when it comes to safety, I’m not going to hold back. that's $35,000 well invested if it makes it safer for these guys. I think they're doing something different today with rules on trying to keep everybody making sure we get enough lug nuts on the cars. You don't want to be in a position with 20 laps to go and you are leading and you haven't won a race and you need that to have to make a decision as a driver whether to come in or ride it out and hope it stays. That's not a good position for us to be in. I think some of people at NASCAR took it the wrong way. They have done an awesome job with safety. This is one thing we need to look at. It wasn't saying they're not doing their job. I felt like they dropped the ball. they're doing a good job. They're looking at it and address it and make it right. Down the road, we won't have to worry about this again.

FOX: Smoke, it may have been po-ed —

Tony Stewart: You are telling me in your career you never got po-ed at NASCAR? You want me to start the list?

FOX: I will be right down. You haven't been in the car this year so far. Is there a relief driver standing by? Are you confident you can —

Tony Stewart: You are looking at the relief driver.

FOX: That a boy.

Tony Stewart: I’m not Darrell Waltrip. I want to stay in it the whole day.

FOX: Tony, I gotta ask you. Coming back, you haven't been in the car this season, new aero package, have you tapped into your teammates to get up to speed and have a chance at winning today?

Tony Stewart: Yeah. obviously, I’ve been at every race except for Daytona. Every week I’ve been at the track, I’ve been listening to what's going on. I’ve been to a couple of debriefs. I’m pretty much up to speed. Yesterday's practice was probably the biggest thing I needed to do. That was make laps and at the very end of the session, when it was probably the peak temperature for the session, guys were moving around, I got a chance to get around guys and find out what I could do in traffic. I feel like I learned enough yesterday to remember what to do inside the car. Now it's a matter of going out and doing it. It felt like old pair of shoes. I’ve been out for five months but it didn't feel like it. it took about ten laps on Friday to kind of get re-acclimated. other than that, it's the same race car I was driving last year for the most part.

FOX: Don't lay down on me.

Tony Stewart: We will talk —

Tony Stewart: That's one thing you don't have to worry about. I’m in good shape.