Tony Stewart and his NASCAR Cup Series team didn’t have the best of times in the 2023 season. With only Kevin Harvick making it to the playoffs, the struggle was real. Time and again, Stewart-Haas Racing faced issues on track and pit road, and with Harvick now retired, the perilous times continue. Amid all these changes, Stewart has a new task on hand but he believes he has it all under control.
There is no denial about how adventurous a person Stewart is. Despite retiring full-time from Cup Series racing, he is well-invested in racing both as a driver and as an owner. However, he seems to face a tricky situation come the 2024 season.
Tony Stewart believes the 2024 season poses as many challenges as 2023 did
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The 2023 Cup Series campaign witnessed Stewart-Haas Racing reach a new low. For the first time since 2008, SHR went winless for an entire season. While that was concerning enough, heading into the 2024 campaign, they have plenty of more issues to deal with.
Tony Stewart will miss out on having both Kevin Harvick and Aric Almirola next year. While Josh Berry comes in as a replacement, the fourth driver is yet to be finalized. What’s more concerning is the fact that none of the three drivers has a proven record in the Cup Series, with a total of one win among them.
Additionally, Stewart’s team lost multi-billion sponsor Anheuser-Busch to Ross Chastain and also Smithfield with Almirola’s departure. So the need for success is of paramount importance to attract sponsors. While his team’s Cup Series struggle continues, Stewart recently announced his decision to replace his wife Leah Pruett in the NHRA Top Fuel Dragster.
While it is great news at many levels, it only becomes more challenging for Stewart. The 52-year-old currently owns/co-owns SHR, Tony Stewart Racing, Superstar Racing Experience Series, Eldora Speedway, and a few other tracks. Not to forget, he also drives a Top Alcohol Dragster.
With so much on his plate, Fox Sports journalist Bob Pockrass recently asked Stewart how would his Top Fuel Dragster impact his other commitments. To this, the three-time Cup Series champion said, “I don’t think it changes a lot from what 2023 looked like. I mean having the full-time driving the Alcohol car. I mean I was on the road with NHRA the majority of the year anyway.”
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Stewart continued explaining how he managed to get it all done well. He said, “We didn’t get where with our Sprint car team, with our race track, with our series, with the NASCAR program, Sprint car program without having good people and that’s what it takes. It doesn’t take me to make it all work, it takes me surrounding myself with good people that make this work.”
Tony Stewart said his move to an NHRA top fuel car likely won’t mean much difference in how he manages his time with his own racing as well as his NASCAR and sprint-car teams and the SRX Series. pic.twitter.com/L3EOkPUDeY
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) December 7, 2023
So with that part not changing, Stewart remains confident of handling it all well. While he doesn’t deny having challenges, he feels very much up for it.
Tony Stewart excited about his Top Fuel drag racing participation in 2024
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It is great how Tony Stewart and his wife Leah Pruett want to focus on starting a family. While the track will miss Pruett, it also allows Stewart to try out a new venture. However, the veteran driver has set his objectives clear when competing in the Top Fuel drag racing.
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As reported by The Print, Stewart said, “My goal is to not s*ck, my goal is not get fired by my wife, and not kill myself driving this thing. Every time we have jumped into a different type of race car in a different form of motorsport there is always a learning curve and this is no different.”
When your wife wants to try to start a family & wants you to drive her car, what are you going to say? I’m proud of @LeahPruett_TF & excited we’re going to focus on starting a family in 2024. I’m humbled Leah & Neal Strausbaugh felt I was the driver to fill in for her.@TSRnitro pic.twitter.com/lbvv4xYLm1
— Tony Stewart (@TonyStewart) December 7, 2023
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He continued, “This has probably been one of the hardest things that I’ve ever had to learn to drive. It is very much going to be a crash course learning curve, minus the crash.” While there will be challenges in his new venture, if there’s someone who can come with flying colors it is certainly Tony Stewart.
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