Tony Stewart will enter the 2015 NASCAR season with the potential of being one of the top story lines in the sport. But he would be hard-pressed to top his 2014 year in terms of newsworthy events.
The following are the top 10 storylines involving Stewart in 2014. Admittedly, paring the list down to just 10 was a bit of a chore for the charismatic Stewart, who had a season he'd never forget.
To think that his biggest concern coming into 2014 was returning from his 2013 crash in which he suffered a broken right leg is remarkable, compared to what transpired. Not ironically, the 10 biggest events all took place during the second half of 2014.
10. Stewart wins his first sprint-car race since his 2013 crash - Stewart showed up at Tri-City Speedway in Auburn, Mich., on July 18 and advanced to Victory Lane on the 3/8-mile dirt track.
9. Stewart undergoes a fourth surgery on his right leg. The media reports said replacing a rod in Stewart's right leg on Dec. 3 was a "routine" procedure. There's nothing "routine," however, about undergoing four leg surgeries in 16-plus months.
8. Stewart experiences a winless season for the first time in his NASCAR Sprint Cup career. On any other given year, this could have competed for the biggest story in a Stewart year. He participated in 33 races and had three top-five finishes. He has driven in NASCAR's biggest circuit since 1999, and he even won a race last year, in which his broken leg limited him to 21 starts.
7. NASCAR allows Stewart to compete for the Chase for the Cup upon his return from a three-week hiatus in racing. Despite an ongoing investigation into the death of Kevin Ward Jr., on Aug., 9, the sport's governing body not only allowed a grieving Stewart to return to racing but also gave him a waiver to qualify for the Chase for the Cup if he were to win one of the final two regular-season races.
6. Stewart finishes fourth at the Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500 in Martinsville, Va. The first signs of the old Stewart coming back from the Ward tragedy was his fourth-place showing on Oct. 26. "It feels really good. It's been way too long since we've been in this position, for sure," Stewart said, according to NASCAR.com. "This is as good as a win to me today."
5. Stewart cleared of wrongdoing in the investigation into the death of Ward Jr. A grand jury on Sept. 24 decided against an indictment of Stewart for his role in the death of Ward.
4. The "Smoke" returns after a run-in with Brad Keselowski and a $25,000 fine. NASCAR fined Stewart $25,000 for backing up his car into that of Keselowski in an Oct. 24 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It was speculated that the bump was the impetus that got Stewart past his mourning of Ward's death.
3. Kevin Harvick wins the Chase for the Cup. Harvick, who raced for Stewart-Haas Racing, was another huge part of helping Stewart get over his turbulent 2014. Stewart even exchanged pit crews with Harvick to help him win the title.
2. Stewart goes on a three-week hiatus from racing. Following the incident involving Ward, Stewart goes into seclusion and misses three Sprint Cup races. Speculation rises that Stewart's career could be in jeopardy.
1. Stewart runs into and kills Ward at a dirt-track sprint-car race in Canandaigua, N.Y. on Aug. 9. Stewart and the 20-year-old Ward had a run in - later reports indicated they did not collide - sending Ward into the wall. Ward, who later was reported to have marijuana in his system, got out of his car and walked toward Stewart. As Stewart passed, his rear right wheel caught Ward and sent him airborne for 50 feet, killing him instantly.
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