Stewart eager to put turbulent year behind

Tony Stewart started last season by flipping his Pontiac down the backstretch in a wreck at the Daytona 500. It set the tone of a turbulent year of penalties, probation, politics -- and, oh yeah, a career-best second-place finish in the standings.

With a new season set to begin, the slate is supposedly wiped clean. But with Stewart, one never can tell if it has been.

The biggest questions surrounding Stewart this season are: Can he forget about last year's tumultuous times? And, can he effectively learn how to manage his time -- and his temper -- in the future?

If the answers are "yes," then 2001 series champion Jeff Gordon thinks Stewart is probably the top contender to take his title away.

"I think his intensity is his best friend and it's his enemy at the same time," Gordon said. "There is nobody out there who is more talented and I don't think there is anybody out there who is more capable of winning races and championships.

"But I definitely see where there are things that get in the way of the focus at times."

Stewart understands that people believe his own temper and occasional lack of focus are the two biggest speed bumps blocking the path to his first-ever Winston Cup championship.

But he doesn't believe it, and points to the numerous championships he's won on other circuits -- most recently the 1997 Indy Racing League title -- as proof.

"If you win races, you can win a championship, that's the way I look at," Stewart said. "It's not rocket science, there's no theories behind it. The guy who is the most consistent all year wins at the end."

Stewart, who set the mark as the most successful rookie in NASCAR history in 1999, has proven he can win races by racking up 12 victories in three seasons.

But he's developed a reputation as a hothead who stands in his own way.

Last year alone, he spun out Gordon on pit road, argued with a Winston Cup official after an on-track penalty, and knocked a tape recorder from a reporter's hands after the confrontation.

He butted heads with NASCAR over the required use of head-and-neck restraints and battled with the media and fans for the demands on his time.

He racked up $20,000 in fines, spent most of the year on probation and alienated many people.

"It was a tough year," he admitted. "But it's over. And all I can try to do is learn from it, look at any mistakes I might have made and try to grow from them."

There's still some things that Stewart never changes.

When at the track, Stewart doesn't want be bothered. Not by reporters seeking one of his always candid and usually a little colorful quotes, not by photographers quick to snap up a familiar scowl, and not by the bold fans who daringly asks for an autograph.

He understands everyone has a job to do, and wishes they'd understand that he does, too.

It's not as though Stewart doesn't try to do both. Although he was one of the chief complainers last year about the length of the season and how draining it was, he's taken almost no time off this winter to recharge.

One of the busiest drivers on the circuit, Stewart limited himself to one break -- a five-day trip to the Bahamas in December -- and estimated it was his first vacation since he was a young child.

Then it was off to appearances, autograph sessions, test sessions, sponsor obligations and the many other races he squeezes into his schedule, leaving him with roughly five free days before he heads to Daytona next month for the start of the season.

It doesn't stop then, either. He visits an average of 25 Home Depot stores all over the country during the season, meeting the associates who sponsor his Joe Gibbs Racing car and greeting the fans who line up outside the store hours before his scheduled arrival.

And he tries to remain true to his short-track roots, racing in about 35 other events a year aside from NASCAR. He's also a hands-on owner for his sprint car team, which won the World of Outlaws championship in its first season.

At every stop, he shows the charm and personality that is often lost at the track.

He spent a recent afternoon laughing and joking with a camera crew that was shooting a video of him answering trivia questions that will be used on his souvenir truck at the tracks.

He slipped into a phony Italian accent when talking about crew chief Greg Zipadelli and came up with quips and one-liners to answer other questions.

Stewart tried to show NASCAR that side of him at its annual awards ceremony in December. Midway through his nationally televised speech, Stewart removed his tuxedo jacket to reveal a head-and-neck restraint he'd been wearing all night as a way to poke fun at his earlier reluctance to wear one.

The prank drew a rousing applause and hearty laughs from NASCAR's brass.

"Everything I heard about that was positive," Stewart said. "People didn't know I could be funny, but I can be. I'm not a bad guy, I just want to win and do my job.

"If I was always relaxed and having fun and joking with the fans, I bet I wouldn't be a very good race car driver."