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NLL Rochester Knighthawks

Stewart to Race at Ohsweken Next Week

July 26, 2012 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Rochester Knighthawks News Release


NASCAR legend Tony Stewart will team up with Glenn and Curt Styres again this summer when he climbs aboard his No. 14 car at Oshweken Speedway next week.

Pictured (left to right): Glenn Styres, Tony Stewart, Curt Styres and his two boys Bo and Hunter.

Tony Stewart, the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion, will participate in a "Meet and Greet" Monday, July 30th before hitting the track in the CORR/Pak 360 sprint program. He will defend his 2011 Six Nations Showdown victory, which was his first World of Outlaw Sprint Car win.

"It is the biggest event of the year," said Glenn Styres, who has become a close friend of Stewart. "I remember being in the front row with him 10 years ago at Volusia like it was yesterday. It still seems unreal."

On July 30th, Stewart will arrive at the speedway, which is owned by Glenn and Curt Styres, for the second straight season. Curt Styres also serves as the Owner and General Manager of the Knighthawks, who won the Champion's Cup in May. The Rochester Knighthawks will make a special presentation to Stewart on Monday to commemorate the team's 2012 National Lacrosse League title.

Prior to the evenings racing program, Stewart will participate in a "Meet and Greet" for 150 fans who are lucky enough to purchase a special wrist band for the one hour gathering. The event is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. Go to www.ohswekenspeedway.com for all the details. Any questions should be directed to Cheryl Pelkie at (1-888) 720-7223 or email to pelkiekj@ebtech.net.

Stewart will return to Ohsweken Speedway, where he won his first World of Outlaws race in a Knighthawks/Ohsweken Speedway themed car. Last season, Stewart outraced the field to jumpstart his NASCAR season. He won five of his last 10 races to become the first driver to come-from-behind to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship by winning the final race.

"He has given us a lot of credit and refers to us a lot on national TV," said Styres. "It was a big win for him and was his first Outlaws win. The first wins are the ones you always remember.

"For him to come here and win was a dream come true," added Styres. "You couldn't have written a better script."

Stewart went on to capture the Ford 400 to win his third NASCAR Sprint Cup title, and it was in Brantford, Ontario where he earned his first victory of the season. The victory was monumental for the veteran driver, who drives the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

"I don't know, I've been doing this a long time," Stewart told the Toronto Sun in November 2011. "I've never felt like I really lost anything. But when we won that Outlaw race earlier this year ... maybe it sparked something then."

Stewart then won his heat in the Empire Super Series at Canandaigua Motorsports Park on August 13th. Stewart drove the Knighthawks car after he completed his time trials at Watkins Glenn. For his efforts with Stewart and marketing the speedway, to Glenn Styres earned his sixth "Promoter of the Year" award. The partnership benefitted everyone involved, especially the National Lacrosse League Rochester Knighthawks.

"This will certainly be good notoriety for the Rochester Knighthawks," said Glenn Styres before the race.

Styres will also race this weekend, as he tries to overtake Chris Steele for the points lead in the CORR/PAK Sprints Standings. In his career, the "Ohsweken Flyer" has won four Southern Ontario Sprints Championships and 29 Sprint Car victories. This season, he has earned victories at Ohsweken Speedway on May 25th and at the 14th Annual "King of the 360's" Nationals at East Bay Raceway Park to kick off his 2012 season on February 25th.

With the two-day event just four days away, Styres was busy today finalizing all the plans off the track. Styres compared Stewart race at his home track to having a Tiger Woods or a top UFC fighter at an event.

"He is at the top of his sport," said Styres of Stewart. "If would have told me 10 years ago that Tony Stewart would be racing here, I never would have believed it."

Stewart stands as a legend in the racing community, winning 12 championships during his 34-year career. His is most recognized for the three titles he scored in NASCAR's pinnacle series. On July 10, 2008, Stewart expanded his role in the racing world by becoming a driver/owner in the Sprint Cup Series with the forming of Stewart-Haas Racing.

Stewart is also known for his philanthropy with the establishing of his own charitable foundation in 2003. The Tony Stewart Foundation strives to "raise funds that will be primarily distributed to three specific groups - chronically ill children, drivers injured in motorsports activities and organizations dedicated to the protection of various animal species."

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