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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)
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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)
Back in 2011, Tony Stewart clinched his 3rd NASCAR Cup Series title. In light of that, the then President of the United States, Barack Obama honored him. Stewart was obviously present, and there were a host of other drivers with him outside the White House. In his address, Obama could not help but take a cheeky jab at Stewart, primarily because of his infamous temperament.
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Obama said, “Now, full disclosure, I invited Tony here today because of what he did on the track. But I was also hoping he would give me some tips on the media because he’s got that quiet, reserved personality. I figured I’d stay out of trouble if Tony gave me some advice on that.”
Tony Stewart had a good laugh at his own expense!
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Obviously, the Stewart-Haas Racing driver had to laugh at himself. All in all, everyone enjoyed the President’s speech, as he was very engaging. Afterwards, Tony Stewart and President Obama posed next to the trophy and the championship-winning car. Beyond that, the two of them engaged in a deep discussion about NASCAR, something that Obama was passionate about.
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HOMESTEAD, FL – NOVEMBER 19: Tony Stewart, driver of the #20 Home Depot Chevrolet, during qualifying for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Ford 400 on November 19, 2005 at Homestead Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
Obama continued, “Tony himself acknowledged, he didn’t see it coming. Nobody saw it coming, we’ve all heard about athletes who say they’re going to do what it takes to win it all. But back in August, with the season winding down, Tony predicted he wouldn’t be able to pull it off. In fact, he said that if he did end up winning the championship, this is a quote, ‘I’ll declare, I’m a total bumbling idiot’.”
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Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr were also in attendance. Also joining them were Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin, Jamie McMurray and Kurt Busch. Johnson even got a special shout out from the President, as he had been in Stewart’s shoes, a year earlier.
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