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NASCAR WCUP: Tony Stewart ready for return to the high banks of Bristol

24 August 1999

Tony Stewart and the #20 Home Depot team return to the high banks of Bristol Motor Speedway after earning a career-best finish -third-last weekend in Michigan, his 13th consecutive top-15 finish. Earlier this season, Stewart started fourth, and led 55 laps in his Winston Cup debut run at Bristol. Despite sheet metal damage and a flat tire toward the end of the race, Stewart finished the April race in 15th position.

Two-thirds of the way into the season, Stewart is fifth in the overall point standings between three-time Winston Cup champion Jeff Gordon and veteran Jeff Burton. In 22 races, Stewart has earned six top-five, 14 top-10 and 19 top-15 finishes, and is leading the field for Rookie of the Year honors.

Nicknames in NASCAR

Here are a few of the names that can be heard in the #20 Home Depot pit area on race day:

Jim "Jungle" Gilbert - transporter driver; Jason "Blaze" Shapiro - pit support; Christopher "Spider" Gillin - pit support; Chris "Woody" Woodward - pit stop sign; Jeff "Gooch" Patterson - gas man; Gregory "Zippy" Zipadelli - crew chief

Tony Stewart, Driver -- (Fifth in standings with 3,031 points) On Returning to Bristol:

"After running the Home Depot Pontiac so well in April, I'm really looking forward to going back to Bristol. It's one of the most exciting tracks on the circuit. It's like putting 43 cars in a blender and hitting the puree button. You're always going in a tight circle, there's always something happening and you never know how things are going to turn out. It's close, action-packed racing that's as thrilling to the drivers as it is to the fans."

On Last Week's Run in Michigan:

"Having our first top-three at Michigan was an awesome experience for the Home Depot team. We overcame several setbacks to get to third, which makes it even more rewarding. We tried to get a one-two finish for Joe Gibbs Racing but I'm not complaining with first and third."

On His Rookie Season:

"The season is two-thirds of the way over and we're fifth in the points and coming off our best finish yet. It's unbelievable. I keep waiting for someone to pinch me and tell me it's all just a dream."

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