In 2023, for Tony Stewart, the Cup Series didn’t start on the right foot. As the season progressed, it seemed like an uphill battle. All four drivers found themselves out of contention for the championship. Two of them even announced their retirement plans for the following season. The Cup scene appeared bleak, but hope was still alive just one rung down in the Xfinity Series.

The Championship 4 race weekend was a different story altogether. Stewart-Haas Racing‘s Xfinity team was firing on all cylinders, and it was at Phoenix where the magic happened. Tony Stewart, celebrated in victory lane, drenched in champagne as team owner. The credit for this remarkable achievement goes to a driver who had been promoted to the Cup Series, spent three years at the top tier, and then took a step down the ladder.

Tony Stewart’s lesson sets a high bar for the next generation, a standard the Truck Series lacks

The 2023 Xfinity championship race at Phoenix Raceway will be remembered as a tale of redemption and respect. Cole Custer, in his third attempt, finally etched his name in the history books as a first-time Xfinity Series champion. The No. 00 driver’s journey was marked by perseverance and determination. He narrowly missed out on winning in 2018 and 2019 before making a three-season stint in NASCAR’s premier series.

Returning to the Xfinity Series with Stewart-Haas Racing, Custer’s dream became a reality in an overtime showdown at Phoenix Raceway. The championship showdown boiled down to an intense restart, with Custer, John Hunter Nemechek, Justin Allgaier, and Sam Mayer forming the front rows. The situation had all the makings of a potential disaster. But these four contenders exhibited an exceptional level of mutual respect on the track.

Following the race, Stewart. emphasized the importance of setting a positive example for young, aspiring racers. He contrasted the Xfinity race with the previous night’s Truck Series event. The latter had been marred by multiple cautions and overtime attempts, highlighting the chaotic and contentious nature of that race.

“I desperately hope young kids that are racing—go-karts, quarter midgets you name it—any of these young kids tonight’s the example that you want to go off of. Not last night. That was an S-show last night. The scary part and I had conversations with people today about it, and what scares me is that these kids watch that and think that’s what they’re supposed to do.”

Stewart’s message was clear – the Xfinity Series race demonstrated that clean, hard racing with respect for competitors is possible. It serves as an exemplar for the next generation of racers. He contrasted this with the Truck race and said, “I think that’s the Truck Series has a zero amount, zero percent amount of it. I mean you watched that show last night, and it was whoever was going to have a straight car at the end of the race.” The Truck chaos also forced an HMS veteran to come out and have a word of caution for the big Cup finale.

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Following the Truck Series race, disappointment loomed not only over ex-Cup Series champion Tony Stewart but also over a former Hendrick Motorsports crew chief, who expressed his frustration and delivered a critical message to Cup Series drivers.

“We’re 35 weeks in, right? Like this is kind of like, when you go to take the victory kneel, and the one pissed-off lineman jumps and like, hits the guy? He looks like an a**, you know? You’re like, ‘Dude, you’ve had four quarters to do something,” Steve Letarte remarked, emphasizing the need for drivers to act responsibly.

He likened it to a situation where a player has numerous opportunities throughout the game. But then makes a reckless move at the last moment, spoiling the outcome for everyone. He stressed the importance of drivers tweaking their approach at the wheel. So that they ensure to neither jeopardize their own chances nor those of their competitors.

“So, I think that if you normally run it at 95% to make sure you don’t wreck when you’re around the playoff guy, you roll it back to 90 so you don’t make a mistake and collect them,” Letarte explained. He underlined the reality of drawing the line between racing aggressively enough and the necessity of avoiding overkill.

With only one final pit stop left in the 2023 stretch, where do you think the Cup race will ultimately fall in this spectrum?

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