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Stewart declines IROC invitation

By JENNA FRYER, AP Sports Writer

 

January 8, 2003

 

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Winston Cup champion Tony Stewart declined an invitation to race in the IROC series this season, and said Wednesday he probably will put on hold his desire to win the Indianapolis 500.

 

It's the second consecutive year NASCAR's reigning champ will not run in the International Race of Champions series, which pits the top 12 drivers from various divisions of motorsports against each other in identically prepared cars in four 100-mile races.

 

Jeff Gordon was the first NASCAR champ to pull out of the series when he didn't run the schedule last year.

 

``With all that goes on during any given Winston Cup weekend, the time to focus on the main job -- driving (the No. 20 Chevrolet) becomes more and more valuable as our sport continues to grow,'' Stewart said.

 

``I've never been a Winston Cup champion before and I want to do it right -- for my team, for my fellow competitors and for my fans. When you win one championship it makes you want to win a second that much more.''

 

Stewart, who has run in IROC in four different seasons, won last year's series opener.

 

Meanwhile, he indicated that his lifelong dream of winning the Indy 500 will probably have to wait. Since moving to NASCAR from the IRL in 1998, he's twice competed in NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 and the Indy 500 on the same day.

 

``As much as my heart wants to do it, I need to take care of what I signed up for here,'' he said. ``This is what I do. I'm a stock car driver.''

 

However, he will still compete in the various other forms of racing he's always done in his free time. Car owner Joe Gibbs put an end to his extracurricular racing near the end of last season as Stewart chased the Winston Cup title, but said he's been given permission to resume the competition.

 

``I got my hall pass back,'' he joked. ``I figured it would be hard for them to keep it over the winter, considering we won the championship.''

 

 

MEARS' DREAM

 

Winston Cup rookie Casey Mears said he'd love a chance to run the Indy 500 -- a race his uncle, Rick, won four times.

 

Now that he drives for Chip Ganassi, who also fields cars in the IRL and often enters multiple cars in the 500, it would seem like a logical fit for Mears.

 

But the 24-year-old Mears, who has previously raced in CART and the IRL, said he has not broached the idea with Ganassi.

 

``Right now we're just trying to get adjusted for my rookie season, so it's not something I've even tried to talk to him about,'' Mears said. ``But I'd love to do it and I'd love to talk to him about it. But I think it's highly unlikely for this year.''

 

Mears has been strong during the first two days of testing at Daytona International Speedway. He was second-fastest in Wednesday's morning session and wound up eighth in the afternoon.

 

 

IROC LINEUP

 

Jimmie Johnson, runner-up to Ryan Newman in the Rookie of the Year race last season in Winston Cup, will compete in the IROC series this year.

 

``I'm excited to participate in the series -- it was something I watched while I was growing up and I think I'm pretty lucky to be invited to it,'' said Johnson, who won three races last year and became the first rookie in NASCAR history to lead the points standings. ``I like to see drivers from different series combined together. It's a lot of fun, and you get to meet a lot of people you might not otherwise meet or compete against in racing.''

 

World of Outlaws drivers Danny Lasoski and Steve Kinser have already accepted invitations to run in IROC this year. Series officials also have asked Busch series champion Greg Biffle, Craftsman Truck series champion Mike Bliss, IRL drivers Sam Hornish, Helio Castroneves and Felipe Giaffone, and Winston Cup drivers Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, Mark Martin and Kurt Busch to participate.