Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Stewart aiming for political correctness

Friday, Aug. 3, 2001 | 10:13 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand's motor sports notebook appears Friday. Reach him at bh@lasvegassun.com or 259-4089.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Tony Stewart has come under fire from NASCAR, fans and sponsors alike for being one of the few outspoken drivers on the Winston Cup circuit.

Not anymore, Stewart insisted.

"I'm not sure that the personality I have is a popular personality in this sport anymore," Stewart said as he prepared for Sunday's Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. "I think you're just getting a Tony Stewart that is like, 'This is what you want, this is what you got now.'

"It's just in response to the feeling that honesty is not always the best policy. I'm learning how to be a politician, so I'll say the politically correct thing instead of the honest thing."

Stewart, who is on probation for the remainder of the season for on-track as well as off-track indiscretions, said he is making a conscious effort to tone down his tell-it-like-it-is attitude.

"I just work on being a little more quiet these days," Stewart said. "Expressing my personality doesn't seem to be a popular thing anymore, like it used to be in the old days.

"A lot of times the fans don't get an opportunity to see both sides of the story anymore. Instead of giving my side of the story, it's better just to let the TV people and the media give their side of the story. I just kind of sit back and watch."

Because of the millions of dollars sponsors such as The Home Depot pump into race teams, drivers have become more "politically correct," Stewart said.

"You may be a driver that is a threat to a fan's driver," Stewart said. "If they don't agree with something you did or something you say, they pick up a piece of paper and a pen and they write a letter to your sponsor and express their discontent with what you're doing.

"The next thing you know, your sponsors are calling your car owners and there is a lot of turmoil with that. All it takes is ten or fifteen people to write into a sponsor and it creates a lot of havoc for us as drivers."

In the end, Stewart said, some fans just can't handle a driver speaking his mind.

"The fans have to make a choice somewhere along the line; they have to decide whether they want honesty," he said. "Sometimes with honesty, it's not popular. It's a lot easier for me to say things that are politically correct and to say things that are going to keep people happy.

"It's not always the honest answer and ... you don't always get the accurate story, but sometimes (people) can't handle the truth."

Busch, who trails Kevin Harvick by 51 points in the Winston Cup Rookie of the Year standings, is the only Rookie of the Year contender to have started all 20 Winston Cup races this season.

In addition to driving in tonight's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Power Stroke Diesel 200 at Indianapolis Raceway Park, the 16-year-old plans to hop on a plane and fly back to Las Vegas in time to compete in a 50-lap NASCAR Late Model feature Saturday night at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The car is red, silver and white with classic images of James Dean on the hood and quarter-panels for the Brickyard 400. Dean, who was born in Marion, Ind., is the subject of a TNT made-for-TV movie that will debut Sunday night.

"I think the car looks pretty neat and I'm sure it can't hurt that we will be racing in Dean's home state of Indiana," Benson said. "I hope that he can ride with us to victory lane at Indianapolis. I know he had a lot of fans across the country and maybe some of them will root for us now."

Petty drove for Orbit Racing in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, teaming with Leo Hindery, Gian Luigi Buitoni and Peter Baron to finish seventh in the GT class.

Allen, 28, is in only his second year of racing but has ordered a pair of cars and is setting up a race shop in order to compete in the regional series. Allen said he plans to make his Southwest Series debut Oct. 13 at the superspeedway at LVMS.