Stewart, Kid Rock make media event memorable

Published 10:06 am Friday, April 11, 2008

By Staff
BROOKLYN – Two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart and Detroit native Kid Rock scored a royal flush for Michigan International Speedway's LifeLock 400 media day on Wednesday at Motor City Hotel &Casino in Detroit.
Stewart was in town promoting MIS' Father's Day event, scheduled for June 15, when his longtime friend Kid Rock made a guest appearance.
"Kid's been a great friend of mine," Stewart said. "It was nice of him to stop by and be a part of the LifeLock 400 event for MIS. He's as good of a musician and performer in his business as I am as a racecar driver in mine."
Stewart played poker with members of the local media who cover MIS in Motor City Casino's poker room. Although he is a regular poker player, Stewart was feeling the heat playing against some very good media members with no actual money being exchanged for the event.
"Some of these guys really mean business," he said jokingly. "I was having a tough time for a while. I finally ended up getting a few good hands at the end though."
MIS got race fans involved in the event as well. Ten-year MIS ticket holder Mark Casteele of Romulus and girlfriend Debbie, a Home Depot employee, were given the opportunity to play poker with Stewart.
WIOT radio in Toledo, Ohio, promotional winners Michele Tallent and Chris Rutledge also played poker with the two-time NASCAR champion, each saying it was a dream come true to hang out with one of their favorite drivers.
"I was so excited. Tony is the nicest guy and it was an experience I'll never forget," Casteele said. "MIS was very gracious in including us in this event. I can't wait to get out to MIS this summer and see him race."
Getting fans involved with the LifeLock 400 media day event was something track President Roger Curtis was excited about.
"I really enjoyed watching the fans interact with Tony," Curtis said. "Adding a fan element to these events is fun for them and for us. We want our fans to be a part of many of our events, not just on race weekends."
Tickets and camping for the LifeLock 400 on June 15 are available by calling the MIS ticket hotline at 800-354-1010 or by visiting MISpeedway.com.
For its 40th anniversary in 2008, MIS is hosting the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series LifeLock 400 on June 15 and the 3M Performance 400 on Aug. 17.
Other events include the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Cool City Customs 200 on June 14, the NASCAR Nationwide Series CARFAX 250 Aug. 16 and the ARCA RE/MAX Series Michigan 200 June 13.
Tickets are available for all events, including qualifying days.
To order tickets, pit passes, camping or hospitality packages, call the MIS Ticket Hotline at 800-354-1010 or visit MISpeedway.com.