Tony Stewart is arguably one of the greatest sports car drivers of all time. Even before reigning supreme in the NASCAR Cup Series, he had already established his name as a marquee winner. He had clinched the IndyCar Series championship in open-wheel racing along with his dominance in the Sprint car and Midget car racing scene.

He is one of the few talented race car drivers who has always excelled at competing in different racing disciplines. It was as if he could weave his way through to the victory lane in anything with four wheels and engines. However, even for a skilled race car driver like Tony Stewart he eventually found one thing that tested his resolve and racecraft in competing in NHRA drag racing; so much so that he was humbled by his initial experience navigating his way around the nuances of drag racing.

Tony Stewart reveals feeling small in trying to understand the complex nature of NHRA drag racing

Having retired from NASCAR Cup Series racing in 2016, Stewart decided to focus on his ownership role with Gene Haas. But it was only a matter of time before he decided to challenge himself by embarking on a new racing journey. It began with the adventure of him fielding a drag racing team, TSR, in the Top Fuel division. His wife, Leah Pruett, who herself was a seasoned dragster, took on the charge of this team along with Matt Hagan.

Stewart thought NHRA racing wouldn’t be technical and tedious compared to his previous experience. But once he started to understand the sport, he soon realized he was in uncharted territory, and he took a backseat in letting his wife take the lead. Recollecting his early memories, Stewart said, “As a driver, I reckoned I knew what it would feel like, but sitting in a debrief with her crew chief, I was just the ‘trophy wife’ trying not to get in the way,” Stewart said in an interview with Motor Sport Magazine.

“I thought it was just a matter of firing up the engine; the engine tuner twists some screws, you do the burn-out, wind up, and off you go. You have 20 different things to do and I was having trouble with so many procedures.”

This was indeed a steep learning curve for Stewart. The former SHR co-owner even explained that he was questioning his decision to enter drag racing. But he had to commit when Leah stepped down from her duties in the Top Fuel series.

“Don Schumacher gave me some runs in a top fuel car, that’s 300mph, whole different thing, it’s insane, but Leah thought I was ready, and she wouldn’t have let me go ahead if she had any doubts. I thought it was the dumbest thing I’d ever done—a ridiculous decision. But fast-forward three years and here I am ready to race,” Stewart explained.

While Tony Stewart is enjoying his time competing in NHRA Top Fuel racing, his only active participation in NASCAR as a team owner came to an unfortunate end.

Stewart Haas Racing didn’t have a storied end from NASCAR

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The biggest story of the 2024 NASCAR season so far has to be SHR taking an exit door, closing its racing operation in both the Cup and Xfinity Series. After the departure of Kevin Harvick, there was uncertainty about how the team would move forward. Moreover, the results on the racetrack didn’t help the co-owner’s cause, who had challenging times managing the finances in an already competitive environment.

It was a loss for the sport that a passionate racer like Tony Stewart was partying ways and cutting his ties. Meanwhile, his partner Gene Haas retained one of the four charters and announced his new team, Haas Team Factory. However, it looks like he’s found solace in his newfound role as a rookie Top Fuel NHRA driver despite his struggle not being able to to dominate the sport as he’s accustomed to.

“I’m not sure the dragsters are a good idea. But I’m doing it for my wife, who’s stepping away from driving to start a family, and that’s a monumental step in how it affects her career. It was never in the playbook but we take risks, we always have, and we’re gonna dive headfirst into it and we’re gonna figure it out. I love a challenge, not being comfortable, so I’ll do the top fuel dragsters, and I don’t regret any of my career decisions,” he concluded.

Stewart will be back in action in the NHRA Top Fuel division at the Pacific Raceways on July 21, 2024.