NASCAR: Tony Stewart Will Not Race at Michigan

Earlier this week, Stewart canceled plans to race at Plymouth Speedway (in Indiana) this weekend.

Tony Stewart will not drive this weekend in the Sprint Cup Series at Michigan International Speedway. Instead, Jeff Burton will drive the No. 14 Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing at the 2-mile track. Photo Courtesy: NASCAR.com

(BROOKLYN, Michigan) - Tony Stewart will not drive this weekend in the Sprint Cup Series at Michigan International Speedway. Instead, Jeff Burton will drive the No. 14 Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing at the 2-mile track.

According to a team release, the driver change only pertains to the Michigan race. Stewart's plans for the upcoming Sprint Cup Series schedule have yet to be determined.

Stewart did not race last Sunday at Watkins Glen as Nationwide Series regular Regan Smith piloted the No. 14 Chevrolet to a 37th-place finish. Stewart was on the initial entry list for Michigan that was released on Monday.

Stewart was involved in a sprint car racing incident on Saturday night that resulted in driver Kevin Ward Jr. suffering fatal injuries at Canandaigua Motorsports Park, a half-mile dirt track on the Ontario County Fairgrounds. The investigation regarding the incident is ongoing.

Earlier this week, Stewart canceled plans to race at Plymouth Speedway (in Indiana) this weekend. In fact, Stewart's racing plans outside NASCAR have been canceled and will not resume until further notice.

Burton, a 21-time winner in the sport's premier series, has made only two starts this season in a part-time role for Michael Waltrip Racing. He finished 17th at Las Vegas in March and 20th at New Hampshire in July as he transitions to the broadcast booth next season for NBC.

In 40 career starts at Michigan, Burton has four top-fives, 11 top-10s and two poles. Last season, Burton finished 10th and eighth, respectively, in both races at the venue. 
The Pure Michigan 400 will run on Sunday, Aug. 17 at 1:00 p.m. ET with television coverage on ESPN.

Source: NASCAR.com