Every year, plenty of drivers make their NHRA Top Fuel debut, but this weekend at the Gatornationals, the NASCAR Hall of Famer, Tony Stewart, entered NHRA’s premier division of drag racing. In his first-ever Top Fuel race, Jeff Paterson, better known as “Gooch”, perfected the paint stripes for his boss’s dragster and even managed to pull off a dream start for the team in the competition.

Paterson did his bit by working on Stewart Dragster for his debut duel against Justin Ashley. He has been with the SHR co-owner for more than thirty years and is now continuing his service for Smokes’ next big adventure in NHRA. Interestingly, Gooch is also Stewart’s first-ever employee, who joined him back in the 1990s.

Tony Stewart almost had a dream debut run in the NHRA Top Fuel Racing event

The NHRA Top Fuel drag racing at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals saw NASCAR icon Tony Stewart make his first start in the premier division of drag racing. Piloting the TSR Nitrous, an 11,000 horsepower dragster, the 52-year-old was partnered by Paterson as he contributed to Stewart’s new venture after his three decades of service.

In his first professional race today, Tony Stewart was paired against Justin Ashely. Stewart managed to get off the gas pretty quickly with .021 in comparison to Ashley’s .031. Both drivers had to adjust to their tire shake after their quick starts, but Ashley managed to cross the finish line first and bag his first win for Scag Power equipment.

Stewart clocked 4.45 seconds to cross the finish line, whereas, Ashley bettered his run with 4.41 seconds to claim his first win. Given how unsure and nervous Stewart was ahead of his rookie start to NHRA Top Fuel racing, he sure put out a great display in his first-ever challenge at the Gatornationals.

Moreover, with the SRX commitments out of the way, Tony’s ride in the NHRA Top Fuel Racing will be uninterrupted, allowing him to focus on his new challenge.

Two fewer commitments on Stewart’s plate will help him focus on Top Fuel racing

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Tony Stewart likes to keep himself busy with several racing events, even after his retirement from NASCAR. However, in 2024, he has been roped into a new challenge of racing in the NHRA’s Top Fuel drag racing events by his wife, Leah Purett. With SRX racing events and other commitments in line, the NHRA debut would have been a tough ask even for someone like Stewart. However, he was handed a huge relief after All-Star Racing’s sale and the dissolution of the SRX Series.

Speaking in an interview on Athletic, he said, “We had looked at the SRX schedule, and I’d already told the upper management with SRX that I wasn’t going to be able to make the first three events because of my commitment with the drag racing side. So we’d already worked through the details to take some of that stress away, But yeah, you’re spot on, I didn’t have to be there for the All-Star races anyways. It’s two less things on the plate for this year and definitely gives us a little bit more time to focus on what we do.”

Given how little time Tony Stewart has managed in the Top Fuel dragster seat, the results of his debut run win will provide him with the confidence he needs to excel in future events.

Read More: Tony Stewart Admits Being the Weakest Link of His NHRA Top Fuel Outfit