Tony Stewart focused on improving cars while stuck in career-worst slump

Jeff Gluck | USA TODAY Sports

Mired in the worst season of his career, Tony Stewart described 2015 so far as disappointing, disheartening and discouraging during a Tuesday conference call with reporters.

But at 44, Stewart said he's still focused more on improving his performance than stepping out of the driver's seat altogether.

"Right now I'm just trying to figure out how to get my car working, to be honest with you," he said when asked how much longer he might want to drive.

And there's plenty of work to be done in that area.

Stewart is currently 28th in the Sprint Cup Series points standings with an average finish of 25.1 — by far the worst in his 17-year career. He has just one top-10 finish at the halfway point of the NASCAR season.

The reduced horsepower in the Cup Series this year gets the most blame, Stewart said. He grew up driving high-horsepower cars and hasn't been able to adjust to how the 2015 cars feel — regardless of the rules package.

In that sense, he said crew chief Chad Johnston isn't on the hot seat despite many fans seeking a change.

"I still really like working with Chad Johnston," he said. "I don't feel like he's what's holding us back. … I'm holding him and the team back versus vice versa. So it's just a matter of me trying to figure it out, figure out how to go forward and get our cars better."

Stewart said the No. 14 team he co-owns at Stewart-Haas Racing is "desperately trying to figure out what it's going to take to move the needle" when it comes to finding a better balance. He declined to evaluate the low-downforce package teams ran last weekend at Kentucky Speedway because "we weren't close enough to getting our car driving good to really understand it."

The entire year has been frustrating, he said. But there's also a glimmer of hope: In 2011, his cars weren't driving well until the team hit on something at the start of the Chase for the Sprint Cup. He then won five of the 10 races and the championship.

There's always a chance that could happen again as the team continues to search for what works in the car.

"I feel like every weekend, it's the weekend we're going to find it," he said. "It's disheartening (and it) takes the wind out of your sails when you realize you haven't found it that week.

"If we get our car working and win a race because we have our car working well, it definitely can turn the season around. With this format, it can change everything."

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On a positive note, Stewart praised NASCAR for working with teams through the Race Team Alliance and consulting with drivers through the new Drivers Council this season.

"It was all right to walk in the trailer and give them an idea, and that's as far as it always went," he said. "Now you're actually having meetings, working hand‑in‑hand with NASCAR. I think that's something that I've never seen in this sport, which to me is really exciting as a driver and owner. I think it's great."

Stewart did have one small request, however.

"I'd love to see (NASCAR CEO) Brian France show up at some of these council meetings and stuff," he said, "but I'm sure he's busy."

Follow Gluck on Twitter @jeff_gluck