Austin Dillon, driver of the #3 AdvoCare Chevrolet, stands on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Nationwide Series Zippo 200 at The Glen at Watkins Glen International on August 10, 2013
Photo – Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images
The wait is over for fans wondering who will be behind the wheel of the No. 14 for Tony Stewart at Michigan’s Sprint Cup Series race, the Pure Michigan 400.
While Tony Stewart is recovering from a broken right tibia and fibula suffered in a sprint car wreck on August 5th in Oskaloosa, IA, his organization Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) continues their diligent efforts to field his No. 14 car in the Sprint Cup Series.
Veteran Max Papis drove the No. 14 to a 15th-place finish Sunday at Watkins Glen International, keeping their 11th-place standing in the Sprint Cup Series owner championship standings. This week SHR is tapping talented 23-year-old Austin Dillon as their interim driver for the Pure Michigan 400 race at Michigan International Speedway, August 16-18.
Dillon is an obvious choice for a number of reasons including that he is the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion and competes full-time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, where he now leads the championship standings. Dillon also has two Nationwide Series wins and five Camping World Truck Series victories. His most recent win, is July 24th in the inaugural CarCash Mudsumer Classic presented by CNBC Prime’s “The Profit” at Eldora Speedway, which is owned by Tony Stewart. The Pure Michigan 400 ride will mark Dillon’s tenth career Sprint Cup start.
“I’ve watched Austin for many years and at each stage of his racing career he’s been successful,” Stewart said. “He’s proven to be a very fast learner, and he’s able to adapt quickly. Being the youngest champion in the history of the Truck Series is proof of that. His background in dirt racing is an asset, and off the track we share many of the same interests, specifically, hunting and fishing. I know he’ll perform well at Michigan and I’m just as confident in his ability to properly represent Mobil 1 and Bass Pro Shops throughout the race weekend.”
In addition to Stewart and Dillon sharing the same interests of hunting and fishing, they also share the same sponsor with Bass Pro Shops. So, it seems Dillon is a natural fit to carry their banner during Stewart’s recovery period. But SHR is taking one step at a time and has not determined who the interim driver of the No. 14 Chevrolet will be for the Sprint Cup Series’ following race August 24th at Bristol Motor Speedway. The organization does expect to have more information to make their decisions after a follow-up appointment for Stewart with his doctor on Wednesday.
While fans await a timetable for Stewart’s return to the racing, the good news is the three-time Sprint Cup champion was discharged from the hospital late Sunday afternoon.
