Top Row Seat - Charlotte
Dateline: 06/01/99Tony Stewart ruled the racing world on Sunday with two top-ten finishes in a single day. His grand entrance in a low-flying helicopter just as his name was being announced during driver introductions brought everyone to their feet. It was a royal welcome and Tony Stewart was the king.
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Stewart: Worn Out But Happy
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However, is running both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 the right thing to do? No. As Tony found out, maintaining the necessary high level of concentration for over 7 hours in the physically demanding environment of the race car is simply too much for any driver to handle. By trying to run both races he ended up not being able to give 100 percent to either effort.
Running "The Double" is a cute idea to drum up some media attention, but serious racers (as I believe Tony is and wants to be) should not ever try to duplicate the stunt. Practice time, qualifying positions and driver endurance all suffer too much to make it reasonable for the serious racer to attempt. Tony Stewart gave it a royal effort but proved that the stunt does not allow a driver to give his best.
Should NASCAR ban "The Double?" Voice your opinion on the bulletin board. Or you can vent your frustration in the chat room Wednesday night from 8-9pm EST.
