NASCAR: Has Father Time Passed Drivers Over 40?

Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Tony Stewart – 43 years old

The case of Tony Stewart is an interesting one. Stewart is a three-time NASCAR champion who many felt was at the end of his career before he won his third title in 2011. After all, heading into the 2011 chase Stewart and SHR had already announced they were parting with crew chief Darian Grubb. 10 races and five wins later Stewart found himself in a tie with Carl Edwards and champion by virtue of a tie-breaker.

Stewart has already defied the odds for he was over 40 when he won that title in 2011.

While fans of Stewart believe he has a fourth or even a fifth title left in him, that simply might not be the case. Stewart broke his leg in 2013 and that injury severely hampered him in 2014. Just this past week Stewart was talking about how he still experiences pain in that leg. Stewart has dedicated his life to racing which leads me to believe he will be in this sport as long as humanly possible. I will by no means be surprised if Stewart is running NASCAR into his late 40’s or early 50’s.

Stewart’s desire to win and passion for racing will always make him dangerous.

Prediction: I do not believe Stewart will win another championship. That being said, I also would never bet against him. After watching what he did in 2011 there is no doubt in my mind that he could potentially pull that off again. Just because I don’t believe that it will happen doesn’t mean that it won’t.