The Michael Schumacher Comeback Saga begins now

This is how it begins, again: Michael Schumacher begins his Formula One comeback tour this week with a set of GP2 tests in Spain.

Schumacher spent three years in retirement, but much like Michael Jordan, Richard Nixon, Brett Favre, Jay-Z, The Who, Kiss and every single boxer ever, the seven-time F1 champ couldn't sit still. In December, he signed with Mercedes, paving the way for his 2010 comeback. This week, he'll test GP2 rides for three days, and will help GP2 prep its cars for 2011.

On Feb. 1, Schumacher will step back up to the big leagues when he starts F1 testing in Valencia, Spain. He hasn't run an F1 ride since the end of the 2006 season -- and considering he may well be the world's first billion-dollar athlete, why would he?

The big question with Schumacher is what he'll have left in the tank, so to speak, after three years on the sidelines. What's his reaction time? What's his tolerance for risk? What's the condition of his back, both literal and metaphorical? He had attempted a comeback last year, but abandoned that effort because of lingering injuries from a 2009 motorcycle crash.

Regardless of how his season goes, Schumacher's legend is secure. And if he ends up embarrassing himself, hey, who cares -- he's Michael Schumacher, and the rest of us are not.

Schumacher's first drive will be GP2 car [AP via Yahoo! Sports]

Tony Stewart's awesome Aussie adventure draws to a close

Tony Stewart has returned from Australia, where he spent the turn of the decade getting ... well, frankly, getting knocked around the track by a bunch of Aussies.

Not that it mattered; Smoke was welcomed in Australia like a conquering hero. (Check that dramatic shot there at right, with Smoke's ride on the right and the world-famous Sydney Opera House on the left.) 

Stewart ran at the Tyrepower Paramatta City Raceway for four events, and while he didn't win anything, he did impress everybody with his Sprint car skills. In his final race, he ran the fastest time in qualifying, but blew a tire and finished 19th. Ah, well. (No truth to the rumor that Smoke was confused because he thought cars circled the track in the opposite direction Down Under.)

Stewart also got to the fireworks in Sydney on New Year's Eve, which, judging by YouTube, were pretty spectacular. He's already apparently making plans to return next year, where we expect VICTORY, Smoke! U-S-A! U-S-A! 

After the jump, you can check out the muck that Smoke was running through, courtesy of an Australian local broadcast:

Kind of cool seeing Tony back in the black-and-orange in the postrace interview, isn't it? Like a throwback uni or something.

Four Wide: At least wrecked NASCAR rides don't go in the ice

Bringing you the best in NASCAR news and info to keep your day rolling right ... or left, whichever.

• Not NASCAR, but still interesting: these noble loons up in Minnesota recover pickups that have crashed through the ice. Cost? Up to $2,500. And I'm sure those trucks are working just perfectly once they dry out. [Pickuptrucks.com via Jalopnik]

• Michael Waltrip is going to Dubai! Hopefully he won't exhibit as much skin as he showed in that video in the Sound & Speed post below; that well could kick off a horrific international incident. [Scene Daily]

• Patrick Carpentier is still hoping to keep that NASCAR dream alive. May not be the best time to break back into the sport, but Carpeteater has some skills and could easily outrace some of the young'uns out there. [Sporting News]

• NASCAR Scene has ended its print production. That's a shame, as it put a lot of good NASCAR journalists -- the real kind, not the type that sits back and makes veiled innuendo gags based on Patrick Carpentier's name -- out of work. [Charlotte Business Journal]

• A writer for PhillyBurbs asks, "Am I the only person involved in the sport of auto racing who really does not get that excited about Danica Patrick?" Not passing judgment, but this writer might want to do a wee bit more reading. Anyway, it's another Danica-is-a-marketing-machine-more-than-a-driver article. [PhillyBurbs]

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