BROOKLYN, Mich. -- Tony Stewart owns the Cup car that Danica Patrick is racing in Cup this year. So it’s natural to ask him how he thinks she will do in the car, which she is running for the next six weeks.

But Tony is Tony, and he says we should just let her be. Apparently, we’re putting “so much pressure” on her.

Here’s what he said exactly.
“I’ll be honest, I wish everybody would get off her back and just let her go race and let her learn. Everybody is putting so much pressure on her and so much focus on her. Going to a place that you’ve been to is obviously going to help, but everybody needs to take a step back and let this girl learn and do what she is trying to do there. It’s kind of a double edge sword. It’s been great from the publicity side, but for her, I don’t know how she handles it. It’s making me nervous having to talk about her all the time, let alone, she is the one that has to actually do it. I just hope everybody respects her enough to give her the room to know that weather she makes three laps or weather she finishes the whole race the whole goal is to just learn.”

I’m reminded of Mr. Pink in “Reservoir Dogs” – playing the smallest violin in the world with his fingers – and this time the violin plays for Danica.

Come on Tony, she shouldn’t be learning at this point, she should be competing. Stop acting like she’s a victim. She wants to play with the big boys, she’ll have some standards she’s expected to meet. It’s not pressure, it’s reality.

Stewart said he has been advising Danica to some degree, but it’s pretty simple what she needs to do.

“Go out and learn that is exactly what I told her. It’s not been rocket science. The biggest thing is every lap you run in a car the better you’re going to get and the more you are going to learn. Even if you are running fifth or 25^th you are learning something. The goal of these 10 races, which is exactly what we said back in the media tour, clear back in January was that these races are designed to give her laps in the car and get her more time and experience. The good thing is she is excited about it and that is the attitude you have to have going into it.”

That’s fine and dandy Tony, but please stop whining and complaining.

It doesn’t look good on you.

You knew when you put Danica in your car that people would be asking about her – and she’s making you plenty of money. So there’s no need to feel nervous because you have to talk about her. That’s just silly.

There are expectations when you are in Cup, and Tony knows that the expectations on her and no higher than they are on anyone else. In fact she probably has lower expectations due to her lack of experience. So if she can’t live up to that, don’t feel sorry for her Tony. It’s a ridiculous thought process that would lead you to think that way.

No news on Newman

Asked about Ryan Newman’s contract, Tony said nothing has been decided yet: “There is nothing different. There is nothing new than what I have told you in the past and as soon as we have something different than what is going on we will be the first to tell you guy.”

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