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AP Auto Racing Writer
Although the silly season can be fun for fans, negotiating contract extensions or new deals during the racing season can be a major distraction for the drivers involved.
Two-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart, who's trying to decide whether to stay with Joe Gibbs Racing or move on to a deal that includes team ownership, is fed up with the constant questions.
Greg Biffle knows how that feels.
Last week he announced he had signed a three-year extension with Roush-Fenway Racing and was relieved to put the project to rest.
"It will be nice not to have to answer those questions again for a few years," Biffle said.
For Petty Enterprises driver Bobby Labonte, signing a contract extension was a chance to focus fully on the future.
"I don't know that it's distracting," the 2000 Cup champion said of the in-season negotiations. "It's funny how you can read more about yourself than what you think about yourself sometimes. I'll read something and I'll think, 'You know, I wasn't even thinking that."'
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UNLUCKY STREAK: Heading into Saturday night's Sprint Cup race at Daytona, Tony Stewart was in the midst of one of the worst streaks of bad luck in his racing career.
Last week at New Hampshire was just the latest example of dominating races only to find himself out of the spotlight at the end.
"It's the oddest year I think I've ever seen," Stewart said. "There's guys that have had a lot worse seasons than we've had, but this is a terrible year for us and our team. I think that is a compliment to how good of success this team and this organization has had, to say that we're ninth in points and we're having a terrible season and a bad luck season.
Stewart hopes to break his 31-race winless streak Saturday night at Daytona.
