Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

Stewart
ready to rumble in Fort Wayne

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – For Tony Stewart, the sheer joy of wheeling a midget race car
around a tight, 1/6-mile indoor track is irresistible.

The three-time NASCAR champion will return to the 15^th annual "Rumble in
Fort Wayne" on Friday, Dec. 28 and Saturday, Dec. 29, trying to add to his
record nine victories at the Memorial Coliseum Expo Center. He swept the
two-day program last year for the second time in his career.

"I just like to race," said the 41-year-old from Columbus, Ind., who got his start
in the lightweight open-wheel, open-cockpit cars. "When the weather is bad
outside and you can't do anything else and you like racing, to be able to race
indoors is really a luxury."

The unique holiday event brings together more than 300 competitors in midgets, winged
outlaw modified midgets (600cc), karts and quarter midgets. Spectator gates
open at 11 a.m. each day, with midget time trials at 6 p.m. and the main
portion of the program after 7:30.

"It's just fun," said Stewart, who especially likes to watch the younger drivers,
with an eye toward the future of his own race teams. "You get everything from
kids racing quarter midgets and go-karts to guys who've been racing 20-25
years."

Stewart's record at Fort Wayne is remarkable. His nine victories have come in just 14
starts, and only once has he failed to win when his car was running at the
finish. That was on the second night in 2008, when East Coast standout Lou
Cicconi Jr. beat him in a race that went green all the way. Stewart also holds
the track qualifying record of 7.323 seconds, set in 2005.

Stewart will return in his black No. 2 Munchkin chassis, which he half-jokingly says is
funded by his poker games. He also will field a second Tony Stewart Racing entry
for his longtime teammate and car builder, Mike Fedorcak of nearby Roanoke,
Ind. Fedorcak won on the opening night in 2002.

"It's going to be great fun to have Tony racing at the Rumble against champions from
a variety of series," event organizer Tony Barhorst of Classic Motorsports
said. "He first arrived in 1999 unannounced. One year, he even competed under
the name Mikey Fedorcak Jr. from Gnawbone, Ind.

"This year, we know for sure he will be here."

Information about "Rumble in Fort Wayne" entries, racer's rate hotels and tickets are
available at www.rumbleseries.com. Tickets may be
ordered by mail without a service charge. The event information line is (317)
418-3206. Requests for information may be e-mailed to [email protected].

I still think A.J. is Smoke's dad!

 
I LEARNED ESP FROM MY MOM

"PUT YOUR SWEATER ON: DON'T YOU THINK I KNOW WHEN 
YOU'RE COLD?"