Tony Stewart still managed to take something positive away from his worst season as a professional race car driver, and probably the worst year of his life in general. Stewart struggled all year long on the track, but the low point of the season was unquestionably the sprint race crash on August 9 that claimed the life of Kevin Ward, Jr.
Harvick's Win More Meaningful To Stewart?
Stewart never finished higher than fourth in any race this season, marking the first time in years that he has completed a season without winning a race.
He also missed several races following the crash in August because - understandably - he needed to get away from racing for a bit to process what happened. After hearing all of the evidence, a grand jury determined that there had been no criminal wrongdoing in the crash, meaning Stewart would not be charged with any kind of crime.
Stewart completed the season, and he was able to watch Kevin Harvick, a member of Stewart-Haas Racing, win the championship. Following the win, Stewart said, "You know, there's a lot of things I would love to change about the last 18 months of my life, but tonight is not one of them.
"I'm going to enjoy this moment, and I'm going to enjoy it with this group and this young man. We're going to go celebrate and enjoy this because this group of people here have deserved it, and this is a great family and this is a great group of people to lean on."
Stewart-Haas Racing Offers Optimism For Team Owner
Stewart will take some time to process the season and deal with the lingering sadness stemming from the August crash, but he mentioned to one of his coaches that great friendships have really helped him through this and that he will continue to appreciate those friendships.
Stewart plans to attend the Chili Bowl - an event he normally competes in - as a spectator with friends. He plans to continue to relish the support of those around him. "That's one thing that hasn't changed no matter what's gone on,'' said Stewart. "It's the one consistency in my life. And I'm so grateful."
Below you can see an interview with Stewart after Harvick's championship victory.
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