HUNTERSVILLE, N.C., April 2 (UPI) -- Tony Stewart has decided to skip the Indianapolis 500 this year, with a vision of the NASCAR Winston Cup championship after a strong start to the season.
Stewart, who ran double duty by competing in both the Indy 500 and the Winston Cup Coca-Cola 600 on the same day in 2001 and 1999, announced Tuesday he will only concentrate on NASCAR's longest race on May 26.
"Running Indy again is something I've put a lot thought into, but when it came right down to it, the long term goal of winning the Winston Cup championship won out," Stewart said.
"This decision allows our Home Depot team to focus on, not only the championship, but the Coca-Cola 600 as well. We're in the No Bull 5, and that means a $1 million bonus if we win. By not running at Indy, we'll start where we qualify and not at the back of the field."
In his rookie year of 1999 on the Winston Cup circuit, Stewart finished ninth in the Indianapolis 500 with his own team -- Tri-Star Motorsports -- and was an even more impressive fourth in the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway in North Carolina, completing a total of 1,090 miles.
He improved those results last year when he was sixth in the Indy 500 and third in the Coca-Cola 600. Stewart finished both races on the lead lap, completing all 1,100 racing miles.
Stewart's first career double duty put him in the record books, as he logged the most racing miles in one day by a driver.
The 30-year-old has finished in the top five in three of six races this season, taking the checkered flag at Atlanta for his 13th career Winston Cup win. He is 12th in the standings, 204 points behind leader Sterling Marlin.
