T Stewart - Modern Era Petty/Foyt/Andretti?

[mmciau]

Is this fellow likely to become a modern era "Richard Petty and or an A J Foyt and or Mario Andretti?"

Is he beginning or has he begun to show the results across dirt track and asphalt racing that would liken him to the level of achievements that the 3 named champions above achieved? (I admit that Foyt and Andretti have achieved fame at any type of car series that they drove in!)

Or does he need to show how he would perform in the other machines such as Champ Cars/Indy cars?

Or am I calling his achievements too early for a valid comparison?

regards

Mike McInerney

[Antrodemus]

Well he wasn't too bad in Indycars - won ROTY in '96 and the IRL title in '97.

[muggle not]

Tony would do well in most type of racing series. Jeff Gordon also would have excelled in open wheel.

[luke]

Yes, the fact that Jeff never raced in open wheel or at Indy is a disaster. But NASCAR's gain!

Tony is a IRL and double NASCAR Cup champ so I guess that's quite sweet. Hasn't he won 2 back to back races now? He hasn't quite been as dominating as Gordon has though? Again this is the first time in 5 years that I am watching every NASCAR race so I don't know much.. I would like to see Tony do the Indy 500 again. Tony has been a favourite in mine because he came from the US open wheels..

[Hazza]

He was killing them at the end of last year. Not as much this year. But no-one has unless you've beeni n the 24 or the 48

[muggle not]

Tony usually does better in the second half of the season. He likes it when the tracks are hot and slick.

[deeks6]

Originally Posted by mmciau

Is this fellow likely to become a modern era "Richard Petty and or an A J Foyt and or Mario Andretti?"

Hmm, Tony is a good steerer with an admirable record ... BUT ... until he wins the World Drivers Championship (or even just one Grand Prix), Le Mans, Drag races and about another 3000 races in virtually anything, then he shouldnt be mentioned in the same conversation as Mario.

Nor for that matter, Dan Gurney or AJ Foyt.

[cmk]

The brilliant thing about Mario and others of his ilk (say, Jimmy Clark in a Lotus Cortina, for instance) was that they were fast in anything. Very few drivers these days have a chance to prove that, through contractual obligations etc. It's too bad, because it really is what sets the legends apart: I've watched people with F1 experience fumble attempting to drive a Ferrari GT2 car competitively. Tony hasn't sufficiently demonstrated consistent jack-of-all-trades genius to share Mario's legend.

For the record I was born some 16 years after Jim Clark's death, so my post isn't an old fogie's lament that things aren't what they used to be.

[Speedy1]

Tony won champonships in silver crown sprint cars and midgets in the same year before moving to open wheel pretty much killed em
Championship wins in 4 different series I can remember
very close to winning Daytona 24 hour before car broke
if Nascar schedule had enough time off he likely could win in other series

Jeff Gordon also won midget & sprint car titles before going to Nascar

[chemhead1]

Stewart needs to get a ride in an competitive LMP car at least one race in his career. Can anyone say Stewart/J. Gordon/Jr. at Petit?

Yeah, I know.....

[gttouring]

well he did it at watkins glen today
gordon made a goof, and stewart won, now they are tied for wins there
masterful driving from so many today.

[muggle not]

Actually, Jeff Gordon showed a little class at W.G. He stated that he got a little too aggressive at turn 1 causing him to spin out. Some other drivers would have blamed the spin on the Goodyear Blimp.

[baclightning]

He's already there. If you look at the list of drivers who have won both a NASCAR Cup championship, and any major US open wheel series championship(USAC, IRL, CART, or Champ Car), you'll find exactly one name - Tony Stewart. Foyt and Andretti both won the Daytona 500, but neither drove full seasons, so they never had the chance to win a NASCAR championship.

When you add in Stewart's Sprint Car, Silver Crown, and Midget titles, it's a unique resume. Stewart has won just about everything in US auto racing except the Indy 500 and a major sports car race, and I'll bet you that he wins the 24 Hours of Daytona sometime in his career. And you know he'd race Indy if the logistics worked out...

No, he won't have the international titles and wins that Andretti (F1 champion) or Foyt (Le Mans winner) did, but Stewart has already established himself as an all-time great.

[Jonerz]

He'd race Indy if the IRL ammended rules on driver+car weights (unless they already have). In that race we'd also see Robby Gordon. I think Stewart - ability wise is in the top three greatest drivers of my lifetime (Senna and Schumacher being his "top three" compatriots).

Chris