Stewart Sidelined Till 2014, Martin Moves to No. 14, Vickers to No. 55

Smoke won't climb back into his No. 14 SS until 2014 (Google Images)

Tony Stewart, who broke the tibia and fibula in a 440 Winged Sprint Car wreck three weeks ago, confirmed Monday afternoon that he will not race again in the 2013 Sprint Cup Series season. This came as no surprise, since the three-time champion no doubt wants to return to his Chevrolet in top form, which will require sitting out for the foreseeable future. Also not surprisingly, it was announced that Mark Martin will fill in for Stewart in 12 of the season's final 13 events (Austin Dillon will drive the No. 14 at Talladega), which means that Brian Vickers will climb behind the wheel of the now vacant No. 55 he split with Martin and team owner Michael Waltrip since 2012. Waltrip will wheel the No. 55 at Talladega as originally scheduled.

Martin has had success in Hednrick-powerd
Chevys before (Google Images)

This unusual game of musical chairs was put in motion over the course of the last weekend at Michigan International Speedway. Stewart's car had been driven by road racer Max Papis at Watkins Glen the week before and Dillon at MIS (both drivers finished 15th and 14th respectively). Stewart-Haas Racing competition director, Greg Zipadelli, had stated that the team wanted to use one or two drivers for sake of continuity. Meanwhile at Michael Waltrip Racing, Vickers had just been named the full-time driver of the team's No. 55 Aaron's Toyota for next year, as Martin would be moving on to another, still unknown opportunity. So with Vickers scheduled to run the No. 55 at Bristol this weekend anyway, rumors began to persist that Martin would not only fill in for Stewart in Thunder Valley, but in all of the following races as well. This would also allow Vickers and his team to get a head start on next season.

"Obviously, I'm disappointed to be out of the Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevy for so long, but the team is in very good hands with Mark Martin and Austin Dillon," Stewart said. "Mark is someone I' ve looked up to my entire career and I have a tremendous amount of respect for him. Austin is a great young talent, and he showed that Sunday at Michigan. Greg Zipadelli, Steve Addington and everybody at SHR supports them 100 percent. This isn' t a situation anyone wanted, but we' re going to make the best of it. In the meantime, my focus is on getting healthy and getting back into my Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevy. "

On it's face, this move seems like a lot of work for just a dozen races. Why didn't SHR just tap a Nationwide driver like Regan Smith or allow Dillon to run the rest of the races? Well for one, the 54-year-old Martin has raced Hendrick powered Chevrolets before, winning five races in 2009 for the NASCAR juggernaut. He would also provide a consistent face for Bass Pro Shops and Mobil 1 until Stewart makes his return at Speedweeks 2014. Martin filled in for the then injured Denny Hamlin at Martinsville, but Aaron's would not permit him to run any other races for the team, which meant Vickers filled in for Hamlin. But now, Aaron's knows that Vickers will run their car full-time next year, so why not allow him to get a jump on it with his team and also allow fans to begin associating him with their brand? This is a move that, in the long run, should benefit all those involved.

"Aaron's is supportive of the arrangement with Mark Martin agreeing to drive for Stewart-Haas Racing ," said Ronald W. Allen, Aaron's Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. "We're energized about Vickers' availability to drive the No. 55 Aaron's Dream Machine for the remainder of the season. MWR talked about how this move would better position our team for 2014 while helping Stewart-Haas Racing so we believe this is the best of all possible outcomes for everyone."



Stewart's lone win of 2013 came at Dover in June (Google Images)

Vickers, who is also driving a full slate of Nationwide Series races for Joe Gibbs Racing, added, "No one wants to see Tony out of the 14, but I am appreciative of the opportunity to get more  seat time in the 55 as a result."

The three-time Cup Series winner added, "I didn't think things could get any better than last weeks announcement with Aaron's, but having a chance to run the rest of the 2013 season creates a tremendous opportunity for our team and we're excited that this came together the way it did. Mark gets to help out Tony and we get to start our program early in the No. 55."

Despite having nine pole starts, 16 top-five finishes, 23 top-10s and leading over 1,200 laps in his 46 starts at Bristol,  Martin is keeping his expectations for Saturday night's race realistic, citing the difficulty he faced when hopping in Hamlin's No. 11 at Martinsville.

"It's going to be challenging and challenges are good for me," he said. "They drive me hard and I will do everything I can to step up to the plate."

In all, Martin has claimed 40 victories, 56 pole awards, 271 top-fives and 452 top-10s in 870 starts in NASCAR's premier series. The No. 14 is currently ranked 13th in owner points, just 10 points out of the top-10. The team is also currently in line for one of the two wild-card spots thanks to Stewart's win at Dover's this past June.