Tony Stewart is one of the most versatile and accomplished drivers in the history of motorsports. A true renaissance man of racing, from winning the 1997 IndyCar Championship to securing three NASCAR Cup Series titles in 2003, 2005, and 2011, his success across various forms of racing is unparalleled. But Stewart’s newest venture into the world of drag racing, specifically the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association), came about in an unexpected way — and it turned out to be a game-changer for the sport.

In a story full of twists and turns, Stewart took on the role of Top Fuel dragster driver after his wife, Leah Pruett, became pregnant with their son, Dominic. With Pruett needing time off from racing, Stewart seized the opportunity to step into the cockpit of a Top Fuel dragster in his own Tony Stewart Racing team. But this wasn’t just a hobby or an experiment. Over the course of the 2024 NHRA season, Stewart not only enjoyed the sport but also made an immense impact on its visibility and popularity, garnering the 2024 NHRA Rookie of the Year honor and solidifying his place in drag racing history.

Tony Stewart opens up on his love for NHRA

While Tony Stewart has dabbled in almost every kind of racing imaginable — sprint cars, midgets, late models — his transition to NHRA racing marked a new chapter in his long and storied career. Top Fuel drag racing is one of the most demanding and exhilarating forms of motorsport. These dragsters, capable of producing 11,000 horsepower and accelerating from 0 to 100 mph in less than a second, race down a 1,000-foot strip at speeds that often exceed 350 mph.

Stewart’s performance in his debut season was remarkable! With a 17-20 record in elimination rounds, Tony Stewart made it to the semifinal round in five events and reached two final rounds. He also clinched the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series North Central Division championship and finished an impressive ninth in the final Top Fuel standings. There’s no debate that Stewart coming into the NHRA made the sport more popular. He went to great lengths for it, who would have imagined a journalist in an 11,000 HP car? Well, definitely ESPN’s Pat McAfee did not imagine being behind the wheel of one.

The Pat McAfee show has 2.71 Million followers on YouTube and he discussed NHRA on it for fans who were clueless about the sport. He had Tony Stewart on the show to talk about the sport and more. The conversation helped viewers who had never heard of the NHRA to understand the power and intensity of the sport, introducing the sport to a massive new audience. And Tony Stewart, after a full season, really fell in love with drag racing and that is the real reason why he’s boasting about it! or like Funny Car Legend John Force, says, he’s “preaching the gospel.” 

Stewart was recently in a conversation with host Joe Castello during Race Industry Week, talking about his season and how much fun it was. Stewart said, “It was a lot of fun, I enjoyed it. And you look at my history in Motorsports, in 45 years I have tried just about anything that I can absolutely try, I have had opportunities to do. And being able to do what I’m doing with NHRA, now I love drag racing.” And Stewart is preaching about the sport because he genuinely feels it has something that top motorsports lack- a deep and hands-on connection with fans.

“I love the environment, I love how when a fan buys a ticket, they can go right up to the ropes where our cars are sitting in the put area. They can talk to us, get autographs, see us do warm-ups, in the pit area when the guys rebuild the motors. That is an environment I love now, that’s been missing in some other forms of Motorsports. I love it. It’s a huge family it reminds me at times in Motorsports when I had the most fun,” He added.

According to Stewart, he loves to talk about NHRA and widen the understanding of the sport among fans. “But I really love being in the NHRA environment and it’s been fun to go do things with Pat McAfee and all these other media outlets and trying to get them exposed about what NHRA is about.”

Tony Stewart is changing the perception of drag racing

Stewart’s role as an ambassador for the NHRA came at a time when the sport needed a boost in visibility. While drag racing is one of the oldest and most exciting forms of motorsport in the United States, it has often been overshadowed by other high-profile racing leagues, such as NASCAR and IndyCar. For many people, the concept of drag racing — let alone Top Fuel dragsters — was a mystery.

However, Stewart’s genuine enthusiasm for drag racing helped change that. According to Stewart, when fans now meet him, they are shell-shocked at how exciting NHRA races are! He said, “I think the one thing that really struck the nerve with me this year you know being a top fuel driver in the pro classes vs last year was the amount of fans that have come. They’re like we have watched you in IndyCar. We watched you in Midgets and sprint cars, we watched you in NASCAR. And if I’m lucky enough to catch them at the end of the day, I like to go ‘what did you think?’ The top answer from everybody is that we had no idea. I’m like what do you mean? We had no idea it was this exciting and that these cars were that powerful. “

Stewart made it clear that NHRA racing was not just about fast cars but about a culture and environment that welcomed fans, encouraged participation, and showcased the raw power of these machines. Stewart encouraged fans to visit the tracks and experience drag racing firsthand.

As he noted, “TV doesn’t do justice as much as we love being on TV, NHRA is a sport that for the first time fan; go to the drag races, go one time, go watch top fuel, go watch Funny Car, go watch Nitro Harleys and Pro stock bike… Then when you see it on TV you have a greater appreciation for what you are seeing. Because you were able to see it, feel it, smell it, things that you don’t get in any other motorsports.”

Have you ever seen a drag race? Share your thoughts on it in the comments below.