“This Guy’s Like the Master”—Utterly Competitive Tony Stewart Left Admiring a 73-Year-Old 16-Time NHRA Champ While Stressing on the Extremities of Drag Racing

Age is just a number. It cannot be taken into account when people are out there trying to create a mark. It only takes a bit of courage and mental preparedness. Age cannot be the reason for hindrance in achieving more feats and heart desires. Even the Stewart-Haas Racing co-owner Tony Stewart doesn’t differ on that.

After witnessing a 73-year-old competing in the NHRA drag racing arena, Stewart was left completely awestruck.

Tony Stewart talks about the the 16x NHRA champion

Appearing in The Dale Jr. Download podcast, the Hall of Famer divulged his appreciation for John Force. 73-year-old Force is a 16-time NHRA Funny Car champion and holds more all-time records than any other drag racer. 

The 3x Cup champion has recently tasted victory in drag racing after winning the Top Alcohol Dragster in Vegas. He nevertheless did not shy away from acknowledging John Force and his capabilities. Speaking with Dale Earnhardt Jr and Mike Davis, he disclosed, “Or you get someone like John Force. And this guy is like the master of this. He’s so good, he’ll sit there and you can go into the stage bulb. But you’ve got about 7 inches in front of the stage bulb when you hit it, until you are red light.

“He has the ability … There’s guys that’ll roll through so far into the stage light, that they get past the pre-stage bulb and it shuts that bulb off. And when it goes, it tricks guys into leaving too early sometimes, and it gets ’em out of sync.

“And Force is so great at it, and it makes everybody so mad. And I laugh, I’m like, ‘He is not doing anything that’s illegal. He’s just doing what is gonna give him the best opportunity to win that round.'”

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Needless to say, the veteran racer knows all the tricks of the trade. Stewart continued, “If he feels like this is a guy that he’s got to get a little edge on, he’s got those tricks in his bag. I can see where they get frustrated. But you gotta go, ‘Attaboy!’ He knows all the tricks and knows when to use them. And sometimes he may do it on purpose and sometimes he may not.”    

How different is the staging in NHRA drag races?

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However, there is no denying the fact the drag race may seem simple but is quite complicated. The 51-year-old veteran explained, “The concept of staging is really simple in all reality. There is a pre-stage beam and that’s the top bulb, or the top half of the blue circle, and everybody kinda goes up there and waits till other gets pre-staged. Then they stage.”

Referring to the seven seconds that drivers get in pre-staging, Stewart said, “Well, the other driver is out in the clutch and just sitting there building heat. It is like an automatic transmission. When you put it in gear, you gotta hold the brake to keep the car from moving. Now multiply that by about 15. And that’s how hard it’s trying to pull. You’re holding the brake and it’s pulling the motor down and you’re hearing it.”

Tony Stewart winning his first drag race has perhaps motivated him to push further. With his wife already settled in the drag world, it is just a matter of time for him to leave his mark as a drag racer just like John Force.

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