KERNERSVILLE, N.C. (Feb. 14, 2011) – It's trivia time.

Question: Name the one driver other than Tony Stewart who has won the season-opening NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in the last six years?

Answer: Kevin Harvick in 2007.

Beginning in 2005, Stewart has won the opening round of the Nationwide Series at Daytona every year with the exception of 2007, when Harvick proved victorious. In that race, Stewart finished eighth. Every other year, it's Stewart who's been to victory lane, and he's done it driving for three different car owners – Joe Gibbs in 2008, Rick Hendrick in 2009 and Harvick in 2005, 2006 and 2010.

As he defends his DRIVE4COPD 300 win, Stewart will do it from familiar confines. He'll again be behind the wheel of a No. 4 Oreo/Ritz Chevrolet Impala, and it will again be prepared by Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI).

Stewart's history with KHI is strong. After 41 career Nationwide Series starts stretched out over five seasons, Stewart finally scored his first Nationwide Series victory when he won the 2005 season-opener at Daytona driving for what was then an upstart KHI. While it was Stewart's first Nationwide Series win, it was also the first for the team owned by Harvick and wife DeLana. When Stewart came back to Daytona a year later and successfully reclaimed his victory, it was career win No. 2 for Stewart and career win No. 2 for KHI.

Now they're back together at the racetrack that put KHI on the map and provided Stewart his long-awaited Nationwide Series victory. Ironically, Stewart has nine career Nationwide Series wins and KHI also has nine career Nationwide Series wins heading into this year's DRIVE4COPD 300.

Coming right out of the box and winning on the Nationwide Series' biggest stage has become a familiar storyline for Stewart, and if he is to repeat the performance yet again and go for four straight wins in the season-opener, it will be hugely appropriate as Stewart is carrying the colors of two products that always delight right out of the box.

His representation of Kraft Foods' Oreo and Ritz brands on the No. 4 Chevrolet fielded by KHI is a byproduct of the company's holistic partnership with Stewart and the Sprint Cup team he co-owns with Haas Automation founder Gene Haas – Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR).

The iconic Oreo cookie and Ritz cracker brands are SHR's official cookie and cracker, with Stewart and his Sprint Cup teammate Ryan Newman carrying the brand's colors on their respective uniforms and cars. But adding some flavor to the pairing of Stewart and Kraft Foods is the No. 4 Oreo/Ritz Chevrolet. Just as it's the figurative vehicle to carry the partnership of Oreo and Ritz with Stewart, it's also the literal vehicle Stewart will use in his attempt to put Oreo and Ritz inside Daytona's victory lane for a second straight year.

While there are a lot of similarities between last year's race and this year's, there is one major difference – the car. A new generation of Nationwide Series car is running full-time this season after a four-race rollout in 2010. While it's akin to the kind of car Stewart competes with regularly in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, it's still an unknown – at least to Stewart, whose first time in the new-generation Nationwide Series car will come this week in the practice and qualifying sessions that lead in to the DRIVE4COPD 300.

But with Stewart's diverse racing background where in more than 30 years he's driven and won in nearly every kind of racecar imaginable – from USAC Sprint Cars and Indy cars to NASCAR stock cars and dirt late models – the change, while substantial, is one that Stewart has quickly and successfully adapted to before.

So with one shot at a Nationwide Series win this season, for Daytona is the only Nationwide Series race he will contest in 2011, Stewart plans on being "won" and done when the checkered flag drops on the DRIVE4COPD 300.

Tony Stewart, Driver of the No. 4 Oreo/Ritz NASCAR Nationwide Series Chevrolet Impala at Daytona

Your first career Nationwide Series win came with KHI at Daytona in February 2005, and you won with them again at Daytona in February 2006, and again last year. What's it like to be back driving for them at Daytona in 2011?

"I'm excited about it. I love Kevin and DeLana. They're some of my best friends. I enjoy the opportunity to be able to drive with them again. I've had fun with them. It's always nice to know that DeLana is there on race day and supportive of what we're doing. She's just as into it when Kevin's behind the wheel. It's fun. It's like driving for some of your best friends."


Three of your 15 career wins at Daytona have come with KHI. Can you talk about their preparation leading into that race?

"It's a small team size-wise, but as far as equipment and everything, Kevin and DeLana prepare cars that are some of the best cars in the Nationwide series. To have a KHI car and to have Oreo and Ritz with us for that race, it makes for a potent combination."


A lot of your success at Daytona in the Nationwide Series has been with KHI. Any reason for that in particular, or is it a combination of a lot of things?

"I think it's because of the attention to detail that Kevin and DeLana put into their racecars. You see it in their Truck program. You see it in their Nationwide program. They just do everything first class. I always have the confidence when I get in one of their cars that I'm in just as competitive a car as I could be with any other organization out there. They're first class, and that's the kind of group that you want to be with when you do a one-off race like this. You have that confidence. You don't worry about anything. You know that they're giving you the best equipment that you can get in that series. It's always fun. It's fun to drive for one of your good friends like Kevin and DeLana, but at the same time knowing that they've got really good racecars just tops it all off."


Kevin and DeLana Harvick have said that you racing for them in the early years of KHI helped get their race team off the ground. As a still relatively new Sprint Cup team owner, can you see how valuable your time behind the wheel was for them?

"I think they underestimate what they did for themselves. They put together a great organization, which enabled me to win with them and for Kevin to win in his own car. They've had the capability and the opportunity to be in victory lane a lot since they started that team, and we've got another shot to get another win for them this weekend at Daytona."


What do you know about the new Nationwide Series car? Is it like the current Sprint Cup car or are you just going off of what you've been told?

"I'm kind of going into it blind. I think the fact that the track is freshly repaved and is going to have a lot of grip – that will take away any of the issues that I would worry about on the handling side. I think the cars will drive really well. It's just a matter of going out and doing our job."


On that note, how much of a challenge will Daytona be because there will be two new variables – the track and a new car? Plus, you have a record to uphold.

"Well, it's definitely going to be challenging. I think some of the things that we learned at the Cup test will most definitely apply to the Nationwide Series race, too. Having Harvick as a teammate down there will be a valuable asset to us, obviously. We'll go do the best job we can for KHI and for Oreos and Ritz. We've been very fortunate the last few years. We'll go down there and do the best we can and hopefully get another one."


You're used to jumping into unfamiliar racecars and adapting quickly. Is it from your upbringing in racing?

"I think so. It's always hard when you get in a car with a different organization. The seats are always just a little bit different. Just everything, whether it's switches on the dash to where the gauges are located, all that stuff just seems to be different. Having that ability to jump around from car to car is definitely an asset when it comes time to doing a one-off deal like this."


How long does it take for you to get acclimated to a new car?

"As far as driving the car, it normally takes three to four laps, but with it being Daytona and as smooth as it is now, I think it's going to make it that much easier."


You've won the first race of the Nationwide Series season five times, including the last three. How nice is it to start the year with a win, and how much confidence does it give you going into the Daytona 500?

"It's always a bonus when you can win on Saturday before going into the biggest race of the year on Sunday. To get a Nationwide win there, that's how you like to go to bed the night before the Daytona 500, knowing that you've got that trophy sitting out there on your desk from what you did Saturday afternoon."


How difficult is it to win one race at Daytona, never mind three in a row?

"Restrictor-plate races at Daytona are always a wild-card race. You never know who's going to win. We were fortunate enough to win one and then back it up the next year. To do it back-to-back-to back is something we're really proud of."


What makes you so successful at Daytona, particularly in the season-opening Nationwide Series race?

"I don't know. I've had a lot of luck there. A lot of it has just been being at the right place at the right time, and making calls that were a little edgy on pit strategy to put ourselves in position at the end. I've had great cars to drive every time there. We've just been one of those guys that everybody knows that when we're out there, we're a threat in that division. So when it comes to the end of it, we've had some pretty good help."


In order to win a restrictor-plate race, you've got to have drafting help. How do you get that help?

"I think it's more a situation of guys finding the fast cars, and you finding the guys that you know are going to go with you because they know you're quick. If they go with you, they're going to get you to the front, which is going to get them to the front. It's kind of 'help me, help you.'"


Are there certain guys you've worked with at restrictor-plate races in the past that you know you're going to draft with?

"You have a list of guys that you know you're drafting with, and then there's another list of guys that you're alright with, and there's another list of guys that you don't want to be around. So you always know who the guys are you want to be with and who you'd rather not see anywhere near you."


Is there any strategy involved in running a restrictor-plate race, or is it just a matter of taking advantage of the opportunities that are presented?

"The strategy is making sure you've got somebody you can draft with. You have to take the opportunities as they come, but with those opportunities you have to make a very quick decision. You've got to think, 'What happens if I try this and it doesn't work? What are the ramifications going to be?' You don't have the luxury of sitting down and taking the time to analyze the situation. You've got to make a split-second decision. A lot of times it'll work, but there are times when the decision that you made doesn't work. But once you've committed yourself to doing something, there's not much you can do about it."


Are you going to bankrupt Kraft Foods, the parent company of Oreo and Ritz, because in addition to sponsoring you, they're giving you and the race team all the product you want?

"We won't bankrupt them from a cash standpoint, but we're going to hurt them on product, for sure."


Do you take a sense of pride in knowing that here's another marquee company in Kraft Foods with some iconic brands, Oreo and Ritz, signing on with you, and you're getting to represent them in one of the biggest races of the year?

"Yes. It makes me proud of my organization and the people we have here who have worked so hard to put us in those positions to have major companies like Kraft Foods come on board. It legitimizes what we're doing here and shows that we're a company that these Fortune 500 companies can have hope and faith in."


Meet the No. 4 Oreo/Ritz Team of Kevin Harvick Inc.

Primary Team Members:

· Driver: Tony Stewart
· Crew Chief: Bruce Cook
· Car Chief: Lennie Chandler
· Engine Builder: Earnhardt-Childress Racing
· Engine Tuner: provided by Earnhardt-Childress Racing
· Spotter: Bob Jeffrey (from SHR's No. 14 team)

Over-The-Wall Crew Members:

· Front Tire Changer: Ira Jo Hussey (from SHR's No. 14 team)
· Front Tire Carrier: Todd Drakulich (from SHR's No. 14 team)
· Rear Tire Changer: Daniel Smith (from SHR's No. 14 team)
· Rear Tire Carrier: Mike "Shrek" Morneau (from SHR's No. 14 team)
· Jack Man: Mike Casto (from SHR's No. 14 team)
· Gas Man: Ricky Simmons
· Windshield: Lennie Chandler

Road Crew Members:

· Mechanics: Donald Colwell and Terry Krusinski
· Tire Specialist: Kyle Kretchman
· Shock Specialist: Ron Drake
· Transporter Driver: David Olson


The Car

Chassis No. 065: This is a brand new racecar that has only been tested in the wind tunnel. The DRIVE4COPD 300 will mark its first race of any kind.

KANNAPOLIS, N.C., (Feb. 9, 2011) – Two championships. Thirty-nine wins. Twelve poles. One hundred and fifty-three top-five finishes. Two hundred and forty-seven top-10 finishes. Those are the numbers that Tony Stewart has accumulated in his 12 years as a full-time driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the last two of which have been as a driver/owner with Stewart-Haas Racing, where the pilot of the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet Impala has nabbed six point-paying wins and two poles.

But despite the impressive figures, the most pressing matter of the moment is readying for the 2011 Sprint Cup season. The wins, the poles and the accolades of years past don't mean much when another grueling, 36-race schedule looms ahead. For all intents and purposes, it's just another series of never-ending performance reviews.

In 2011, those performance reviews will be watched in earnest. Not just because it's Stewart who's the last Sprint Cup champion not named Jimmie Johnson, but because he continues to defy the odds as a driver/owner in today's NASCAR.

Not since Alan Kulwicki in 1992 when he won what was then the NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship has a driver/owner accomplished what Stewart has, which is consistently win races and contend for championships.

When Stewart took the point lead on May 31, 2009, he became the first driver/owner in 556 races to lead the Sprint Cup championship standings. And when Stewart won a week later at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, he became the first driver/owner in 375 races to win a Sprint Cup race. Four point-paying wins and a Chase berth in 2009 segued to two point-paying victories and another Chase spot in 2010. All of which means expectations are high again in 2011.

In a sport where the bar is constantly being raised, Stewart always antes up. He's able to do so because of longtime support from Office Depot, currently celebrating 25 years as a leading global provider of office supplies and services, and newcomer Mobil 1, the world's leading synthetic motor oil brand. In NASCAR's brave new world, it's good to have world leaders on your side.

As a new season dawns with the advent of Daytona (Fla.) Speedweeks, Stewart and Co. are ready for the challenge. In 10 months when the checkered flag drops on the 2011 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the 5-foot, 9-inch Stewart aims to stand tallest among his racing brethren by raising a championship trophy just as he did in 2002 and 2005.

TONY STEWART, Driver of the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet Impala for Stewart-Haas Racing:

After two successful seasons as a driver/owner at NASCAR's highest level, are there a lot of expectations coming into this season?

"Always. That's what this industry is based off – expectations. At the end of 2009 we looked at what we did right and what we did wrong so that we could improve ourselves. But I think we put too much emphasis on trying to take care of the things that we thought needed improving, and didn't pay enough attention to the things that we did right, because they were not good enough last year. Even the things we felt like we did right last year, we still have to build on those experiences. It's just about having more experience as an owner and knowing what we had in any of those areas isn't good enough anymore. We have to continue to grow.


What are your expectations in year three?

"Obviously, we want to go out and win a championship. That's definitely on top of the list. But the hard thing is, it's a very competitive sport, and you realize that even if we make our program five percent better, if everybody else makes theirs seven percent better, we're still behind. It's hard to predict what's going to happen. We just hope the hard work all of our guys have put forth all winter long is going to be good enough this year and put us that much farther ahead than anybody else."


Are you optimistic in what Stewart-Haas Racing can achieve?

"I think I'm realistic. When you sit down at the end of the year and evaluate what you did right and what you did wrong, even the things you did right last year are not necessarily going to be right this year, and that's the hard part. It's really hard to gauge where you're going to be and how successful you're going to be until you get around everybody else. A perfect example of that was Richard Childress Racing. Two years ago they were really behind, and then last year they were ahead of the game and were a factor every week. Everybody is going to make their programs better. It's about who makes the biggest gain and is that going to be enough to get you on top of the field?"


How much more comfortable are you this year than you were this time two years ago?

"The longer I'm in this role the more comfortable I get. You know, the one thing I learned from Joe Gibbs is that you hire the right people to do the right jobs. I can't run this race team by myself, but having guys like Bobby (Hutchens, director of competition) and Brett (Frood, executive vice president) upstairs and other key people in this organization – they're the people I deal with. So, when there's a question, somebody has to have the answer to it. Knowing I can go to this group of people and get that answer is a big key. But just being able to communicate and keep our guys pumped up and recognize when they say, 'This is what we need to be better,' and figuring out how to make that work in the budget, that's probably the hardest thing."

When you look back on your sophomore year, how would you characterize it?

"We were happy to get Ryan (Newman, teammate) into victory lane for the first type with the organization, but we definitely did lose some performance on our side. We didn't win as many races, but we did finish about the same spot in pots. I felt like we maintained and didn't grow as much as we would've liked. I feel like that's where we need to put our emphasis on – settle on the things we did right and fix the things that were a little below average. But we have to continue to grow the entire organization. What we did last year in areas that we did right is not going to be good enough this year. We're keeping that pressure on these guys to make that aspect of our program that much better."


At the end of the season when the checkered flag drops at Homestead, how will you determine if your season has been successful?

"Ultimately, it comes down to performance, but it's how you get there. It's seeing areas of your program that are growing, and sometimes those don't always show in the results at the end of the day. But, race teams are like any other business. It's a constant state of progress. I guarantee that you're not going to find anybody, even at the '48' shop (home to five-time and reigning Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson) who's going to be happy with where they are, and that's a team that's won five championships in a row. It's a constant state of progress that you're in and you're never going to get where you think you've got everything exactly where you want it. I think it's in evaluating where you are at the end of the year and how your program has grown. The hard part is everybody else's program is growing, too, so you have to figure out how to make your program grow faster than theirs to really see those results at the end of the day."


What's the next progression for Stewart-Haas Racing?

"We want to get back to where we were two years ago when we got both our cars (Nos. 14 and 39) in the Chase. We finished sixth and seventh in points the last two years, and that's definitely not where we want to be. It's making sure that we give me and Ryan (Newman, driver of the No. 39) the best opportunities we can, to not only win races and make the Chase, but to have an opportunity to win the Chase, too. We'll keep building this program and growing it to ensure the future of this team by making sure that we can go out and compete for races and championships."


After two years of being in the dual role of driver and owner, are you more laid back now?

"I'm more comfortable with it. I think going to the racetrack has really helped me understand NASCAR's perspective a lot better, and I feel like that's been really, really huge. A lot of times you don't understand why NASCAR does things, and I think when you're a car owner you realize that it's a different perspective than what you have as a driver, and that's helped. I'm comfortable in my role as an owner now.

"I get to know Gene (Haas, co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing) more and more each year, and that makes me more and more comfortable each year, too, and we have the same group of guys that we have started with. I'm passionate about what we do. It's a lot of commitment. It takes a lot of time that we don't already have. It takes more of those free days away, but I really am enjoying where I'm at with this organization. You know, I enjoyed being with Joe (Gibbs), and the great thing is I had a great car owner for 10 years in the Cup Series to learn from. I miss being with those guys, but I'm glad that I can take the things that I learned from Joe and apply them over here, too. I think that makes him proud."


Could you ever see yourself going back and driving for someone else again?

"I hope I don't have to do that again because I really enjoy being an owner in this series. We have racetracks that we own, our open-wheel teams in USAC and the World of Outlaws, and I'm really comfortable and happy in this role. Now, could I do it? Yeah, absolutely. That's what I did all my life until I became an owner here. But, you hope we don't ever have to be in that position. At the same time, if it did happen, we could do it. It probably would make me a better driver driving for another car owner if I had to go back, just from having my experience as an owner now."


Daytona is your first stop of the 2011 season, but with new pavement there, it's a much different Daytona than it's ever been. Talk about that.

"It's almost an identical feeling to what we had at Talladega (Ala.) when it was repaved. The transitions off of (turns) two and four are a little more abrupt than what we have at Talladega, but as far as the ride, you literally could hold a full cup of coffee with the lid off and not spill a drop riding around there.

"We have to run a restrictor plate there, and when you're just running by yourself, the cars always feel kind of lazy. But what we saw at the test was that when you get around other cars is when you notice that Hendrick horsepower. Seems like we were able to get around some other cars pretty well. I felt like we had really good horsepower.

"Guys are realizing the value of having two cars hooked up together. It's something that we've not seen a lot of in the past. You saw it at times, but I think guys are realizing that is how the Daytona 500 is going to be won – getting two cars hooked up together and who can do it and get away from the pack.

"But getting hooked up is hard. You can't do it from the start of the race to the end of the race because the guy behind is going to overheat. What we saw at the test is how fast guys can switch positions, make that swap, and get hooked up again and pick their lap times back up. I think it will put it back in the driver's hands because it's a matter of how quick can you make that change? Even if your car is only a tenth of a second off of two other cars, if you can do that change a half-second quicker each time, then you're ahead of the game. It's going to be critical in how it plays out."


What would winning the Daytona 500 mean to you?

"You look at marquee events around the world, and not only NASCAR but in all of motorsports – the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 24 Hours At Daytona, the Indy 500, the Knoxville Nationals – and to be a driver that can cross off one of those marquee events as a winner, that cements your legacy in motorsports. To be able to able to win the Daytona 500 is the ultimate dream of a racecar driver."


Where would winning the Daytona 500 rank for you?

"No. 1. I may never get a chance to run in those other marquee events, so that's why it puts the Daytona 500 at the top, because it's something that we actually have a shot at. But it is hard. It's a hard race, and it's not like you get to come back next week and try it again if you don't accomplish it. You get one shot a year to accomplish this goal."

In 2008, you nearly won the Daytona 500. How close were you?

"I've run that race over in my mind a million times on what I thought I could've done differently. If it would've been the Daytona 498, I had it won. I was forced to make a decision of whether I was going to put my whole race in jeopardy to win it, or know that I was getting passed but I may have a shot to get it back in the end. I took the safer route, and I wish I would've thrown caution to the wind. I think I would've rather crashed out of it knowing that I did everything I could, but I wasn't sure that if I made the move to block Ryan (Newman, the 2008 Daytona 500 winner) to get in front of him – they were coming at such a high rate of speed I was probably going to crash half the field if I moved."


If you had to do that race over again, would you make the other decision?

"Yes. That decision to play it safe has haunted me ever since. So, if that situation happens again, I may come back on a hook, but at least I can say I know I did everything I could do to give myself that shot."


Why was a Daytona 500 win just not in the cards for you that day?

"Ahhh, you know, I was working really good with my (then) teammate Kyle Busch. It was just being at the right place at the right time and, you know, Ryan (Newman) and Kurt Busch had just got hooked up and were making a huge, huge run, and that's what it took to get by us. That was the only way they were going to get by us, was to get locked together, and they did a really good job at it."


This year marks the 10th anniversary of Dale Earnhardt's passing. When you think of him, what comes to mind?

"You just always think of that grin. He always wore his sunglasses, so you could never see his eyes, but there was one thing that you saw and he had that grin. It wasn't a full-blown smile, but he just kinda had this smirky grin. When you saw that, it made you smile."


What's your best Dale Earnhardt story?

"It was the first Budweiser Shootout I won, and I did it by holding him off. I was not physically drained, but I was emotionally drained after that race. Normally when you're leading a restrictor-plate race, you're wide open all the way around and you don't have to do anything but just hold a smooth wheel. But when Dale Earnhardt was behind you, you had to do a lot of extra footwork by lifting and dragging the brake, because you knew how good he was at backing himself up and getting a run at you. When he was running second to you, you knew he was going to throw everything he had at you, and to be able to hold him off meant that not only did we do a good job of driving the car and leading the race, but we did a good job strategy-wise of being able to counter his moves. That's what I remember the most."


You came to NASCAR from Indy cars in the late 1990s. What did you know about Dale Earnhardt when you first got here?

"Everything I saw of him came from watching him on TV. When I was really paying attention to NASCAR the most is when he was kind of in that string of where he would qualify in the mid-30s, and everybody would take bets on Sunday on how long it was going to take him to get to the lead. The best part of the races was seeing the start and seeing who was actually leading, but then seeing how long it took him to get from mid‑pack or from back of the back to get to the lead. It was pretty cool."