Moonlighting: An Unacceptable Risk

Originally Posted at Foxsports.com on January 15, 2006.

Late last week, Tony Stewart, the reigning Nextel Cup Champion,  raced at the Chili Bowl in a midget.  He rolled the car on Wednesday night during hot laps, and on Friday night, rolled the car again at the start of a Qualifying race.  Stewart had to go to the hospital to be evaluated, but reportedly had no injuries.  He did sport a cast for the rest of the weekend, a precaution until he could see his own doctors. 

Stewart plans to still run "extracurricular" races at the Rolex 24 hour race, and more than likely will race sprint cars, late models, and midgets throughout the racing season (as he has done nearly every year since he started racing in the IRL and nascar series).  Typically he also races in the truck series, Busch series and in a Daytona Prototype in the Grand American Rolex Series.  Stewart calls his moonlighting, particularly in the midgets and sprint cars, his vacation -  events he looks forward to each year. 

Stewart was not the only nascar driver moonlighting at the Chili Bowl:  Kasey Kahne, Jason Leffler, JJ Yeley, and Tracy Hines were also there.  Nearly all of these drivers raced midgets (and at the Chili Bowl) prior to racing stock cars.   Of the other 270ish entries, there were drivers who primarily drive in the World of Outlaw, USAC and late model series, among others.

Moonlighting has its detractors.  In fact, Stewart comments that Joe Gibbs, his owner, was/is not too keen on him driving in any other series.  The moonlighting detractors say that the extracurricular racing is too dangerous - and the drivers are not considering the fans, race teams, and sponsors who are relying on them to driver in their primary series.  Car owners worry about the loss of control and income.  Dale Earnhardt Jr's fiery crash and subsequent injuries in 2004 re-alerted the Cup garage to the inherent dangers involved in and great loss that could occur due to moonlighting.  One wonders if driver's contracts are being re-negotiated to exclude or include the moonlighting opportunites.

Moonlighting supporters point to the versatility drivers develop, the alternate access given to fans, and the "back to their roots" element that occurs as reasons to encourage the practice.  The reality is that drivers can be injured at home (David Stremme while tending his lawn), playing other sports (Juan Pablo Montoya - tennis, although better rumor is that it was motorcylce racing), driving or flying to the track.    

Certain drivers rarely moonlight.  Jeff Gordon has participated in the Race of Champions, as has Jimmie Johnson.  Johnson has raced in the Rolex 24 hour race at Daytona.  But outside of those 2 events, the Hendrick drivers may not be allowed to race in non-nascar events. 

After Stewart's crash, sportscasters were wondering if Joe & JD Gibbs would let his moonlighting continue.  That remains to be seen - and really is an issue that Stewart and the Gibbs need to resolve.

I don't know what the right solution is, but I do know this:  Anytime you force someone to give up something they love, you only breed bitterness, anger, and frustration.