INDY IS SPECIAL TO STEWART.

Byline: TIM HADDOCK Motor Sports

It's no secret Tony Stewart wants to win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway - badly.

NASCAR's resident bad boy has said he would gladly trade his NASCAR Cup championship and Indy Racing League title for a win at Indy.

On more than one occasion, he attempted the Memorial Day double, racing at the Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, with the hope of winning just once at the Brickyard.

The Indiana native places Indianapolis Motor Speedway above all else. He even made the move this year from NASCAR country in North Carolina back to his childhood home near Indianapolis, in part to be closer to the race track he holds in such high regard.

As the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series heads to Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend for its annual visit, Stewart, winner of three of the past five Cup races, is by far the driver with the most momentum.

But none of his 22 career Cup wins would come close in comparison to just one at Indy.

In a teleconference earlier this week, Stewart talked about his passion for racing at Indy, moving back to his hometown, away from the NASCAR mecca in Charlotte, N.C., and how the move has made him a more relaxed and focused driver.

Stewart started his racing career on the open-wheel side, racing USAC sprint cars and midgets, and winning championships along the way. Growing up, he dreamed of racing Indy cars at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He actually did a few times in the fledgling IRL, winning the pole and leading 44 laps in his first Indy 500 in 1996.

He led 64 laps the following year at Indy, but finished fifth, his best showing in five tries.

After a successful Indy racing career, Stewart made the jump to NASCAR and landed with Joe Gibbs Racing in 1998. Five years after winning his only IRL championship, he won his first NASCAR title.

In six NASCAR races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Stewart has two top-five and three top-10 finishes. The closest he has come to winning is a couple of fifth-place showings, the latest coming last year.

When Stewart was working his way up the open-wheel ranks, Indianapolis Motor Speedway was being courted by NASCAR. The Brickyard 400 made its debut 12 years ago and changed Indianapolis Motor Speedway forever. A track once reserved for open-wheel speed machines welcomed stock cars, a travesty in the eyes of racing purists and several residents of Indiana who considered the Speedway sacred ground.

Stewart counted himself among the critics.

``I freaked out, too,'' Stewart said. ``I'll be honest. I guess I was a traditionalist also and didn't want change.''

Over the years, Stewart learned to accept stock cars at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He even learned to appreciate having Formula One cars at the track.

``I think that's ... hindsight, I think it's been one of the most positive things for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, to see how many fans come to the Brickyard just like having the fans come for the Indy 500,'' Stewart said. ``Instead of having it full one time a year, it's full twice a year now.''

No place gets Stewart excited like Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but keeping his emotions in check has been a challenge for Stewart throughout his career. It's part of the reason he moved away from Charlotte and settled back in Indiana.

``It wasn't that I disliked the Charlotte area,'' Stewart said. ``There's probably five times more things to do in Charlotte than where I live (now). But it's just something about being in your hometown and there's something about being around the same friends you ran around with when you raced go-karts, three-quarter midgets or sprint cars. It's just a different atmosphere there.''

So has being around his childhood friends and neighbors affected his temperament?

``Why not? I mean, you get tired of being uptight about everything all the time,'' Stewart said. ``I could be right about a topic, but it's just not even worth fighting sometimes.

``Just being able to go home and see your friends and kind of get away from the stock car scene for a couple days is a nice break. It just helps you be a lot more mellower that way.''

The change of scenery and being around old friends seem to be working for Stewart. This weekend, he will see if it makes a difference at the track he covets most.

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BY TIM HADDOCK