Smoke to drive Busch Series car for Dale Jr at MIS

To say that Tony Stewart will be a busy man this weekend at Michigan International Speedway would be an understatement. The driver of the #20 Home Depot Chevrolet will double-dip at Michigan, running the NASCAR Busch Series race and the Winston Cup race. He will also swap helmets for a headset when he visits Knoxville, Iowa for the 43rd annual Knoxville Nationals.

A regular on the Winston Cup circuit since 1999, Stewart's last Busch Series start came at Homestead in November of 1998. When Stewart takes the wheel of the #8 Three Doors Down Chevrolet for Chance 2 Motorsports in Saturday's Cabela's 250, he will make his 37th Busch Series start - four-and-a-half-years after making his 36th Busch Series start.

The Chance 2 team - owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. - has won four times in its eight career starts, which is great news for Stewart, who looks to obtain his first Busch Series victory.

Soon after what hopes to be a victory lane celebration, Stewart will jet off to the Knoxville Nationals, where he will watch his World of Outlaws driver - Danny Lasoski - compete for a third Knoxville Nationals championship. On the line in Knoxville are points and pride. Lasoski is currently locked in a heated championship battle with 17-time World of Outlaws champion Steve Kinser, who recently took the lead from Lasoski after he led the points for 45 of the first 46 events. As the winningest driver in Knoxville track history with 81 career victories and seven track championships, Lasoski aims to get that point lead back.

And when Sunday morning finally dawns, Stewart the car owner will return to being Stewart The Home Depot Chevrolet driver for the GFS Marketplace 400. It's a whirlwind weekend of racing, but for the man who bleeds oil, it's the perfect weekend.

"I don't think it'll hurt me, by any means," said Stewart of his first ever 'Busch-Whacking' start. "But still, the Cup car is the Cup car and the Busch car is the Busch car. They are different. What we learn with the Busch car might help us on the Cup side. But certainly running the Busch car isn't going to hurt us in any way."