Tony Stewart may be known for his versatility behind the wheel, but as he sees it, he’s essentially been in the same bubble his entire career. From short tracks and dirt ovals, to superspeedways and road courses, Stewart’s endeavors as a driver have fallen into the same category.
That is, until now.
When Stewart strapped into a Top Alcohol dragster to make his NHRA debut last fall, he knew it would be a completely different experience. Compared to the hours he’s spent in a NASCAR Cup Series car or an NTT IndyCar Series steed, his runs on the drag strip in his 5,000-horsepower machine only last about five seconds.
But he still has the same spikes in heart rate — and maybe even more. Rather than having an adrenaline rush maintained for a long period of time, the elimination structure of an NHRA weekend bumps up the blood pressure several times throughout the day.
“Every time that adrenaline goes up and down, it takes a toll on you,” Stewart said. “That intensity of going back and forth like that, those ups and downs … it was something I didn’t anticipate and honestly, I don’t know that answer of what’s the best way to handle that at this point.”
At 51 years of age, there are plenty of new things awaiting Stewart on the drag strip.
The three-time Cup Series champion made his first official runs in the McPhillips Racing dragster at the NHRA Nevada Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last October. He finished as the runner-up to event winner Madison Payne.
While it wasn’t a terrible shock to hear Stewart was stepping into a driver role for a one-off race last year — he’s been firm about his commitment to the drag racing world after becoming a team owner in NHRA’s nitro classes in 2022— his plans to race on a regular basis were a bit of a surprise.
On Feb. 14, Stewart announced with McPhillips Racing that he would contest a full campaign in the Top Alcohol class of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. And according to the motorsports legend, this is the most excited he’s been for a race season since 2016, which was his final year in the Cup Series.
After racing only 11 days out of the calendar year in 2022, he’s enjoying the nervous buzz of a stacked competition schedule.
“I really miss being behind the wheel of a race car,” Stewart said. “I feel like a 14-year-old again, I’m so excited … I cannot wait to get to the race track next weekend.”
The conversation about being a full-time driver started well before Stewart even made his debut in September when the series visited zMAX Dragway in Charlotte, N.C., for the second round of the Countdown to the Championship. He talked with Rich McPhillips Sr. about the possibility of expanding beyond a single race the following season, to which the team owner wholeheartedly agreed.
“I was dead set,” Stewart said. “After the Vegas race, as soon as we got through SEMA, we were blowing each other’s phones up, trying to lock it in and figure it out.”
The two agreed on contesting the majority of the 14-race national schedule, though Stewart’s NASCAR duties will pull him away from the Seattle, Wash., and Topeka, Kan., rounds. However, the veteran stock car driver has an inkling McPhillips has a championship on his mind.
“If he has the confidence and believes we have a shot at it, then we’re crazy to not at least try,” Stewart said. “We’re making the commitment to race the national races, but we might have to slide some regionals in.”
The 51-year-old appears settled and happy with the unexpected rejuvenation he’s found in the NHRA world. His bubbling excitement over drag racing has evoked memories from the early days of his career, when he couldn’t wait to jump on a plane and get to the race track.
After working this weekend’s FOX broadcast during NASCAR’s visit to Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., he’ll be zooming to Florida to gear up for the Baby Gators — the opening round of the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series at Gainesville Raceway.
“You can bet your ass I’ll be the first one to the airport when the show’s over,” Stewart said with a smile. “Normally, I let the guys who have families and kids get to the airport first. This weekend, they can kiss my ass. I am getting to the airport first and I am getting out of there. I have bigger fish to fry when I get home.”