It took an accidental nudge from Brad Keselowski and a fine and four-week probation from NASCAR to transform Tony Stewart from a pitiful figure back into the on-track villain and perennial stock-car race contender.
While Stewart and the Stewart-Haas racing team continue to celebrate his fourth-place finish at the Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500 at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Va., on Sunday.
Tony Stewart's run-in with Brad Keselowski causes a media firestorm
Rather than lament the gamble he took by refusing to pit on a caution and staying out on worn tires while all but two other drivers made pit stops, including winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. Stewart was fifth when the caution came out and gained one spot with the gamble.
"If we're in that scenario 100 times, that's the choice I want to make," Stewart said, according to Sporting News. "I want to give ourselves a chance to fight for it like that. ... It's been way too long since we've been in this position for sure.
"This is as good as a win to me today."
Flashback to the $25,000 fine and four-race probation Stewart received for backing hard into Keselowski after Keselowski hit Matt Kenseth in Pit Row and bounced off into Stewart at the conclusion of the Oct. 11 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Another Sporting News article speculated that Stewart fans would rejoice that the old Stewart - the one that races with an edge - had returned, via his actions against Keselowski.
"After Tony Stewart backed into Brad Keselowski's car as part of the post-race ruckus Saturday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway, many of his fans had to rejoice:
Awesome, the old Tony Stewart is back!"
Those words turned prophetic. Stewart owned a reputation as a sometimes-volatile driver on the NASCAR circuit. When he got involved in the tragedy in the death of Kevin Ward Jr., the sport and his NASCAR brethren treated him differently - almost as if their sympathy sapped his self-respect.
He rediscovered that self-respect after doing his first "Tony Stewart" act in backing into Keselowski in showing his anger for being hit after the race.
Now the team's goal of keeping Stewart's streak of winning at least one race per year is alive and well.
Do you think Tony Stewart's run-in with Brad Keselowski jarred him back into contention among NASCAR's elite? Comment below or tell us @SportsWN.
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