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Tony Stewart appeared on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Thursday morning, giving a health update and an analysis on Stewart-Haas Racing's performance so far in 2016.
"I feel great," Stewart said on the "Morning Drive" radio show. "I've done stuff that the doctors will cringe if they find out about. I've been working on my property on heavy equipment ... I've been doing a lot of stuff that I probably shouldn't be on and shouldn't be driving around and operating, but I feel great."
As for when he will return to the No. 14 Chevrolet? Stewart claims it's just a matter of when the doctors clear him to get back into the seat. It's been nearly three months since Stewart was initially hospitalized for his back injury.
While Stewart has been sidelined, his Stewart-Haas Racing team has been moving full steam ahead with Kevin Harvick's win at Phoenix in March and Kurt Busch consistently running in the top of the field, earning two top-five and six top-10 finishes so far this season, along with two Coors Light Pole Awards.
And as Stewart takes time to recover, the No. 14's rookie crew chief Mike Bugarewicz has had to learn to work with shuffling interim drivers Brian Vickers and Ty Dillon .
"I think Kurt and Kevin are both on pace like they normally are," Stewart said. "I think the 14 car obviously is backed in a corner because we have a rookie crew chief who's doing a great job, but he definitely got dealt a bad hand when I got hurt and having to juggle around between two fill-in drivers before I get back in the car, but I think he's done a great job.
"I think he's exceeded my expectations from the start of the year with these guys. I think Ty and Brian have done an awesome job driving the car and Mike has done an awesome job crew chiefing, so I think they're doing well."
That just leaves Danica Patrick, the fourth car in Stewart-Haas Racing's wheelhouse.
"Hoping for a little more with Danica," Stewart said. "But it's early in the year and she's with a new crew chief, as well, so it's just a learning process right now. So I think we've got two cars in a decent position and we've got two we've got to work on."
Patrick's best finish of 2016 was 16th at Martinsville. The Sprint Cup Series is heading to Richmond International Raceway next weekend for the Toyota Owners 400 (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX) where the No. 10 SHR driver has a best finish of 16th in 2014.