RELATED: Fans of 'Smoke' support champion through highs and lows
Tony Stewart says he’s trying not to think about the tragedy that kept the three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion on the sidelines last year when the series last competed at Watkins Glen International.
The series, and Stewart, return to the 2.45-mile road course this weekend for Sunday's Cheez-It 355 at The Glen (2 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM).
"Unfortunately I have a feeling it's going to get brought up a lot this week. It doesn't help you continue to move forward with it" Stewart told members of the media prior to Wednesday’s annual "Smoke Show" charity event at Texas Motor Speedway.
On the eve of last year's Sprint Cup race at Watkins Glen, Stewart was involved in an on-track incident at Canandaigua (New York) Motorsports Park that claimed the life of Sprint car driver Kevin Ward Jr.
Stewart, who was not charged for his role in the accident, sat out the next three Sprint Cup Series races. His Stewart-Haas Racing team continued to compete with driver Regan Smith piloting the No. 14 Chevrolet at Watkins Glen while veteran Jeff Burton replaced Stewart at Michigan International Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway.
It marked the second consecutive season the three-time Sprint Cup champion did not compete at the Glen. Less than a week before the 2013 race, Stewart suffered a broken right leg in a sprint car race in Oskaloosa, Iowa.
"I don’t think I'll ever be the same from what happened the last two years," Stewart said when asked if the incidents had changed him. "I don't know how you could be.
"I don't know how anybody ever could be back to exactly the way they were. Not being back exactly the same as I was doesn't mean I haven't become better in some ways. I think there are always positives that come out of every scenario."
Five of Stewart’s 48 career wins have come at Watkins Glen, the last in 2009. Thus far this year, he has struggled with a new rules package that has taken away horsepower and decreased downforce. He’s 25th in points heading into this weekend's event, with only five races remaining before the field is set for this year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
RELATED: Stewart's fifth win at Watkins Glen in #TBT
While back-to-back top-five qualifying efforts have been a pleasant surprise, Stewart said he isn't ready to proclaim that he and the team have turned the corner.
"It's been a decent couple of weeks," Stewart said. "I think it's a little early to put judgment on whether we've got it figured out or not. But at least we qualified well the last two weeks. That definitely has been a bonus for sure."
His ninth-place finish last weekend at Pocono Raceway was just his second top-10 of the year.
"We ran decent last week and I think that was a positive sign," he said, "but it's way too early to (tell). For moving the needle two weeks, that's a good thing … but I don't know that it means we've got it all figured out yet.
"I think it's just too early to tell. … I wish I knew what to say. I'm not really sure yet. I'm not sure two weeks gives me a definitive answer."
Teammates Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch each have two wins this season while Stewart and teammate Danica Patrick have struggled to get a handle on the car and the rules package.
Such gaps in the level of competition across the same organization have often left Stewart frustrated.
"On one side it’s encouraging because you know that the organization’s capable of doing it," he said. "The other side of the coin is … you're frustrated because you can't figure it out yourself."
Wednesday's event marked the eighth year Stewart has participated in the fundraiser, which benefits the Speedway Children's Charities Texas Chapter. Donors who spent the day taking part in activities similar to those experienced by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competitors on race day have raised approximately $1.5 million since the program’s inception.
"I don't think we anticipated how it was going to grow," Stewart said of the event. "… It amazes me how many people have done it and keep coming back every year, keep supporting it. That's what's cool about it; it's great to see that kind of support for an event that's lasted that long.
"They're the heroes of the day. They are the ones that have made it what it is. I just come along to have fun and have a good time with them."