Tony Stewart took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his deep sorrow over the passing of Bob Jeffrey, his championship-winning spotter and long-time confidant. Stewart highlighted Jeffrey’s unwavering support throughout his racing journey, emphasizing their strong bond and mutual trust.
Bob Jeffrey’s journey with Tony Stewart began with the inception of Stewart-Haas Racing in 2009. Together, they achieved remarkable milestones, including 16 victories and clinching the 2011 championship. Jeffrey’s influence was pivotal until Stewart decided to retire from NASCAR in 2016. Beyond Stewart, Jeffrey had an illustrious career that included guiding Dale Jarrett to a Cup championship victory in 1999. He even played a crucial role during Danica Patrick’s final IndyCar season in 2018. Reflecting on their times together, Stewart reshared the news of Jeffrey’s passing and wrote:
“I trusted Bob with my life. We always had each other’s backs, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. He was one of the best.”
Bob Jeffrey’s expertise wasn’t confined to NASCAR alone. He left his mark in other racing arenas, including the NTT IndyCar Series and IMSA. Most recently, he served as the spotter for Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward, guiding the team to victory at the season opener in St. Petersburg and securing another win at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course just a few races ago.
In another newsworthy event, Tony Stewart returned to Sonoma Raceway, where he had last tasted victory in the NASCAR Cup series back in 2016. This time, Stewart made headlines by securing the runner-up position in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series event. As a newcomer to the Top Fuel class, Stewart faced a steep learning curve, encountering four first-round exits in the last six races. Despite these challenges, he displayed incredible tenacity and skill.
Starting as the 11th qualifier, Stewart’s performance was nothing short of surprising. He triumphed over the fourth qualifier and championship contender Shawn Langdon in the first round. He continued his impressive streak by defeating Justin Ashley in the quarterfinals and then besting Ron August, the last-place qualifier, in the semifinals.
In the final showdown, Stewart managed to get off the line slightly ahead but was eventually overtaken by the seasoned Antron Brown. Brown clocked a winning time of 3.746 seconds at a blistering 329.67 mph in his Matco Tools/Toyota dragster. Although Stewart had a faster start, Brown’s machine surged ahead, clinching the Top Fuel title with a time of 3.746 seconds, narrowly edging out Stewart’s 3.774 seconds.
Reflecting on his near-victory, Stewart shared his thoughts on X:
“This weekend turned out much better than I expected. We might not have won the big prize, but we definitely didn’t lose yesterday. In the final, we gave it our all, leaving the line as one of the best Top Fuel starters.”
“Getting a good start against Antron in the final was a big deal for me as a driver,” Stewart remarked. “We pushed him hard and made significant improvements with our car. We’re checking off our goals one by one. We’ll take the lessons from this weekend and aim to get even better,” he added.
Tony Stewart currently holds the 9th position in the standings with 617 points. His next challenge will be at the NHRA Lucas Oil Nationals, scheduled for August 16-18 in Brainerd.
