‘Smoke’ Rises from Fiesta Bowl Parade
Two-Time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Tony Stewart Serving as Fiesta Bowl Grand Marshal
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., (Jan. 4, 2009) – No passing. That was the only rule Tony Stewart had to abide by in Saturday’s 38th Annual Fort McDowell Fiesta Bowl Parade presented by Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation. Thankfully, the two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion sat far enough away from the steering wheel of a Chevrolet Corvette that he couldn’t break the one rule just days into the New Year.
Instead, the driver better known as “Smoke” sat atop the trunk of the Corvette convertible waving to the crowd along the 1.9-mile parade route, dutifully fulfilling one of his primary duties as grand marshal of this year’s Fiesta Bowl, which features a Monday night match-up between the Big Ten’s Ohio State and the Big 12’s University of Texas.
“That was like driver introductions at Indianapolis times 10,” said Stewart, referring to the ritual of riding in the back of a pickup truck around the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway before racing 42 other drivers for 400 miles. “This is a huge event and I’m just honored to be a part of it. It’s pretty cool to sort of venture outside our box a little bit and take in a game of this magnitude. With the racing season being what it is, getting away to see a college football game is kind of tough. When the Fiesta Bowl Committee called and asked if I was interested in being their grand marshal, I said, ‘As long as I get a ticket and a field pass to the game, I’m in.”
• Jimmie Johnson wins his third consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship, becoming only the second driver in history to accomplish the feat. Johnson’s championship performance is highlighted by his strong showing in the Chase, as he posts three wins, eight top 10s, six top fives and an Average Finish of 5.7.
The Final Lap Weekly 