Smoke's show at Indy

Welcome back to the ever-popular, ever-famous pre-Brickyard 400 countdown, and thanks for your thoughts and prayers over the past week.

Quick, name the last guy to win at Indianapolis not named Jimmie Johnson…

If you answered Tony Stewart, well, you are right.

"Smoke" stands outside his No. 14 Old Spice/Office Depot Chevy last year waiting for practice to begin at Indy

Stewart made a name for himself in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 Home Depot car for one decade, compiling two Cup titles and two Brickyard 400 wins. However, the enterprising Stewart decided in 2009 that he was going to branch out from Joe Gibbs Racing and begin a new path—that of a driver/owner.

And the number he chose to put on his car was that of his open-wheel idol A.J. Foyt. Foyt became the first driver to win four Indy 500s and was the 1972 Daytona 500 champion. Like Foyt, Stewart has one goal in mind at the Brickyard—win.

“I go to Indy for one reason and one reason only, he said. “It’s never changed.”

According to Denny Hamlin, "All we do is win", but Stewart would like to continue his success at Indy

In 2005 the fan favorite Stewart won his first Brickyard 400. The next day ESPN showed a feature on Stewart’s emotional win, with one of the last shots in the story of Stewart lying on the pit road wall soaking in every moment of his most memorable win to that date.

The 2002 Winston Cup title was probably an afterthought at that point. Stewart was planning on putting a Brickyard 400 trophy on his trophy shelf. “I’m just so passionate about the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” he said last week.

Stewart again won in 2007 with the famous, “Here kitty, kitty” pass of Kevin Harvick. “I’ve had the opportunity to win there twice as a driver but if I had the opportunity to win there as an owner that would be just as special,” he said. And twice is nice for Stewart.

Not only does he have a shot to win as a driver, but he’s got another car in the running too. Fellow Hoosier Ryan Newman, his teammate and friend doubles Stewart’s chances for victory in the 17th running of the Brickyard 400.

Newman won the 2008 Daytona 500, but would probably like to win at IMS even more

“When you’ve grown up around that speedway it’s a big goal and a lifelong dream for us to have that opportunity,” said Stewart. “We’re both excited about it.” In 11 days we’ll all see if the lifelong dream of winning at the most famous and storied racecar track in all of America comes true for Ryan Newman.

Or maybe Smoke will steal the show for a third time at Indy.
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The travel plans are set and I’m ready to go. Hopefully I can continue to bring a daily blog to you in preparation for the upcoming Brickyard 400. I can’t wait to step foot in Gasoline Alley for a second year in a row. Hopefully you’ll follow along here and at FOX19.com for more stories. Have a great day!