Published 01/06/2023, 11:00 AM EST
Tony Stewart is one of the most experienced and successful drivers in NASCAR. He has donned multiple avatars in the sport and knows it like the back of his hand. Therefore, when Smoke makes a statement like this, fans all around take note.
Stewart raced in NASCAR for almost 2 decades. But apart from priceless knowledge about it, he also has knowledge as an owner and an organizer of a racing series. That knowledge allows him to differentiate and point out problems that others cannot see.
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Dealing with the Slinger Super Speedway
In 2022, Stewart spoke at length on The Skinny Racing Podcast about various topics, which also included his experience racing in Wisconsin. He revealed, “Slinger was fun. I’ll be honest I had heard a lot of cool things about it and I watched a YouTube video. I was like “How are we gonna race there?” I felt like we’re gonna be racing in a bathtub.”
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – JULY 25: Tony Stewart, driver of the #14 Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet, looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Crown Royal Presents the Jeff Kyle 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 25, 2015 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)
But he managed to navigate the punishing track tactfully. “And then I went and ran the first practice and I can barely get around it by myself, I don’t know how we’re gonna race each other around this thing. That was the one track out of all 6 races we were in, that was the one place I had the most fun racing in. It was unreal,” he told the hosts of the podcast.
At the end of the day, he only had one lesson to draw; The fans. Complimenting those in attendance, he said, “The fans were amazing. Stafford and Wisconsin, oh!… I don’t care if you’re on a midget in Wisconsin, I don’t care what type of car you’re racing in Wisconsin. Wisconsin, in my opinion, has some of the best race fans in the country, period.”
That is some lofty praise coming from a 3-time Cup Series champion. Wisconsin fans might just have cracked the code.
Tony Stewart loves fans in Wisconsin
As they discussed the Slinger track and fans in Wisconsin, the hosts also added a little about their experience with race fans. The conversation veered in the direction of the cheese curds and beer available in Wisconsin.
HOMESTEAD, FL – NOVEMBER 18: Tony Stewart, driver of the #14 Always a Racer/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, stands on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)
Stewart then carried on commending fans of the state. “When you go race at Plymouth, Wisconsin during the fair, fans will actually bring you beer after the race. Never happens [anywhere else].”
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He explained why he felt so, “They are passionate fans [in Wisconsin] but there’s something about how respectful they are too.”
“When you’re hanging out during the night, you’re racing there, they kind of settle into their deal. And after the races are over, they come down and… like we never got in a hurry to leave when we were at a race in Wisconsin. I mean there were times when they were shutting the lights off and we’re still hanging out and having fun with race fans there,” he told.
“Because they’re just that adamant and that super-respectful. We had a lot of fun with them. We were in a discussion with one of the reporters and as soon as I got done with the media person, I changed and stood outside and signed for a long, long time.”
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Tony really loves the Wisconsinites. It might hurt a little for those in his home state of Indiana to read this.