Tony Stewart is hoping 44 is a much luckier number than 25, 29 or 30.
Thepostgame.com reported that Stewart celebrated his 44th birthday on Wednesday. He took to Twitter to thank his fans for remembering his special day.
Thanks for all the great birthday wishes. Makes a person feel great knowing that many people care about you. Thanks again
Stewart is looking for any good-luck symbol to wash away his last three NASCAR Sprint Cup seasons. He hasn't won a race since June 2, 2013 in Dover.
His misfortunes began in August on a dirt track at Southern Iowa Speedway when he broke his lower right leg in a crash that caused him to miss the rest of the NASCAR season. Stewart finished 29th in the Chase for the Cup points standings.
New rules reducing horsepower in cars has Tony Stewart baffled
In 21 races, Stewart had one win, five fifth-place and eight top-10 finishes.
The next season, Stewart's winning drought continued, going winless in a season for the first time in his career.
His troubles were exacerbated by his appearance at another dirt-track race in upstate New York on a fateful Sept. 9 night. Stewart had a brush with Kevin Ward Jr., in which Ward's car ran into the wall, ending his race.
An angry Ward got out of his car and stalked Stewart, who was coming around on his ensuing lap. Ward got too close and Stewart's right rear tire struck the 20-year-old, sending him hurtling 50 feet forward. Ward died from the injuries.
Stewart missed three races and struggled to regain his racing edge the rest of the season, getting just one top-10 finish, a fourth-place result in Martinsville.
He was hoping for a turnaround in 2015, but new rules reducing horsepower have contributed to further struggles. He is currently 30th in the points standings with one top-10 finish and three races he failed to complete.
Stewart has expressed his frustration over collisions with Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Richmond and with Brett Moffitt at Kansas City. He was black-flagged at Daytona 500 practice for failing to weigh in before his practice run and finished 42nd in the race after hitting the wall on the 42nd lap and being forced to quit after 72 laps.
Stewart also missed a qualifying attempt in Atlanta because his car had to be sent back for inspection and time ran out before he could get back on the track.
His season couldn't get much worse, and his birthday may be an opportunity for him to regroup and start the 2015 season over.
Do you think Tony Stewart can recapture his racing form this season? Comment below or tell us @SportsWN.
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