There are race car drivers who are yet to add championship trophies to their name in NASCAR. And on the other hand, you have Tony Stewart, who’s etched himself into the history books with three titles. Two, he won with Joe Gibbs Racing, and his third one came at Stewart Haas Racing when he competed as owner/driver in 2011. And out of these three, the final one holds a special place in Stewart’s heart.

Needless to say, all the limelight and focus was going to be upon the two drivers heading into the Homestead weekend. But Stewart didn’t want any of it, as he’s now confessed the reason behind his absence from the media ahead of the race.

Tony Stewart sheds light on his preparation for the 2011 tie-breaking championship win

Championship races demand the very best out of the drivers. This is where Stewart realized that he’ll need to be at his 100 percent, away from all the outside noise and distraction. The storyline heading into the race was Carl Edwards vs. Tony Stewart. Edwards at the time was the most consistent driver that season, while Stewart turned a corner for good after a mediocre first 26 races.

Back in 2011, both Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards were on a hunt for NASCAR glory. Smoke wanted to stamp a mark with his team, whereas Edwards was eager to clinch his first title. The margin for error was almost none, and the SHR driver knew only a win would see him lift the trophy and nothing else.

Therefore, in a bid to focus his attention and energy on the big race, he decided to stay away from the cameras and TV appearances. Recalling the preparation for the finale while speaking to FOX Sports, Stewart said, “I remember the thing that I was very adamant about going into the last race was just totally disconnecting from everything that week. We didn’t do media that week. I didn’t even go to the shop that week. I literally just spent time with myself and trying to take the emotion out of the equation, knowing that during the weekend it was going to build at an exponential rate.”

The reason behind this approach was simple: Stewart wanted no prior information on his rivals and their approach. For him, that would lead to unwanted distraction and deviate his attention from his primary goal. “What it took for me personally was to be able to remove myself from everything. I didn’t watch the racing shows; I didn’t watch pre-race shows. I didn’t want to know about anything other than when it was time to get in the race car,” he added.

Well, the race at Homestead Miami was a huge curveball that saw both the drivers giving it their all. However, a late-race strategy call to bank on fuel mileage tactics favored Stewart and the #14 team. While Edwards once again came short of his dream to lift the championship trophy. But, thirteen years later since his triumph, Stewart is now putting an end to his NASCAR chapter.

SHR’s exit from NASCAR wasn’t a premeditated plan

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Stewart Haas Racing, since its entry in 2009, quickly grew to become one of the powerhouse teams in the Cup Series. After the triumph of 2010, Kevin Harvick took the baton and added the second championship win to the team’s trophy cabinet. One could even argue they were the most dominant team of the last decade alongside Joe Gibbs Racing. But their days in the sport are now numbered after announcing an exit after the 2024 season.

It certainly wasn’t a decision that the owners took without consideration. However, the financial constraints backed by declining on-track performance forced their hands to call it quits. “You look at what’s going with 23XI and Front Row Motorsports right now and their battle with NASCAR and the direction that things are going; it’s not a direction that I want to be a part of. This is the right time; this was never a part of a master plan, but this is, as this year has gone on, this has become very clear that this is the right time for me to get out of the sport.” Stewart said this while speaking on the Happy Hour podcast.

Smoke isn’t hanging up his boots from racing just yet, as he’s now competing in the NHRA Top Fuel division in the absence of his wife Leah Pruett.