Tony Puts on the Old Spice for Vegas

Just a thought before the news - If you are a fan of CSI, the real one in Vegas not the crappy followups in New York and Miami, you probably remember mobster Sam Braun, stepfather to CSI Catherine Willows. I thought of him when I noticed this weeks Busch race. The Sam’s Town 300. Wonder if the writer who invented Sam is a race fan.

Tony Stewart will jump behind the wheel of the No. 33 Old Spice Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS for the second time this season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Stewart will compete in eight races for KHI in 2007.

In 2006, Stewart drove in 10 races for KHI, picking up one win (Daytona International Speedway) and four top-10 finishes. Stewart helped the KHI Busch program get off the ground with two starts in 2004, and then in 2005 by picking up the first win for KHI at the season-opener in Daytona.

Much like last season Stewart will share driving duties in the No. 33. Team owner and fellow Cup competitor Kevin Harvick , Tony Raines, Ron Fellows and newcomer Cale Gale will all be behind the wheel this year.

Tony Stewart’s Las Vegas Busch Series Stats:

Year Start Finish Laps Status
2006 26 12 206/206 running
1998 24 34 185/200 crash

Tony Stewart Quotes:

Since Las Vegas is essentially a new race track, how will you approach the weekend?

“I can promise you one thing, I’ll make more laps in my first run of the day than I would if I were in a Sprint car or a Midget practicing at a new race track. Normally when you go to a Sprint car or Midget track, you only get four or five laps of practice on the dirt and that’s it. At Las Vegas , I’ll use all of the practice time they’ll give us. It’s just a matter of going out and using the track time as if you were testing. You go out and sneak up on it, steadily improving yourself with each lap.”

What do you like about the actual city of Las Vegas ?

“I love going to Vegas. You’ve got the stock car track during the day. You’ve got the dirt track at night. If you want to stay up real late, you’ve got everything that Vegas has to offer. If you can’t have fun in Vegas, then you’re pretty hard to entertain.”

Crew Chief Dan Stillman Quotes:

Was the preseason Las Vegas test beneficial?

“Whenever you get a chance to test on a new track surface, it can only be beneficial to the driver and team. I think it will take some time before we see some really good racing. Usually when you have a new surface there will only be one groove, which will be hard for everyone to race on.”

What is the biggest benefit having Tony Stewart behind the wheel?

“It’s Tony Stewart, what else can you ask for? He is a two-time champion with great knowledge of the sport. He knows what it takes to be a winner and that is what we need here at KHI.”

If you are going to be in Vegas, here’s a couple of other events that may interest you:

NASCAR DRIVERS AUCTION

Thursday March 8 - The Las Vegas Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities annual NASCAR Driver Auction at Sam’s Town Live!, inside Sam’s Town Hotel & Gambling Hall in Las Vegas. Doors will open at 5 p.m. and the auction will begin promptly at 6 p.m. Many NASCAR Nextel Cup Series and NASCAR Busch Series drivers are expected to participate.
The event also includes a silent auction, featuring a variety of racing and non-racing items — including autographed memorabilia and tickets to various shows in and around Las Vegas. Last yearÂ’s event raised $169,000 for the children of Nevada. All proceeds will go to the Las Vegas Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities, which supports the increased quality of life for the children of southern Nevada. Tickets are now on sale for the annual Speedway Children’s Charities NASCAR Driver Auction. Tickets for the event are $35 and may be purchased at www.tickets.com.

OFFICIAL AFTER THE RACE PARTY

Saturday, March 10, 2007 at 8 PM at Sam’s Town Live. Scheduled to appear is the driver for Jack Daniel’s Racing Team: Clint Bowyer and NASCAR icon, Richard Petty. Live in Concert: Foghat, Kickin’ Out the hit songs like Slow Ride, Fool For the City and many more! Just $15 per person. Tickets are available at the Front Desk or tickets.com

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