Tony Stewart is arguably the most versatile race car driver to have competed in NASCAR. His streak of reaching the very top of every auto racing discipline in which he competed started with Midget and Sprint cars. He then continued this streak at the IndyCar and NASCAR levels, becoming the only driver in history to win a championship at the prestigious racing series.

It almost felt like Smoke could not put a foot wrong and could win in anything that runs on four wheels and a motor. This was until he stepped into the world of NHRA drag racing in the Top Fuel division. At the age of 53, Stewart entered Top Fuel as a rookie, and it’s fair to say that this racing adventure has been a steep learning curve for him.

But why would a talented driver like Tony Stewart find himself struggling after acing multiple racing disciplines? Well, going by his words, the stark contrast in style of racing between NASCAR and NHRA Top Fuel has something stalled his progress.

NHRA racing is a different ball game altogether

Tony Stewart had no plans to come out of retirement and enter competitive racing. However, his wife Leah Preutt decided to start a family, so basically he’s acting as a fill-in driver for his team. And he certainly has had a tough time trying to win races, steering an 11,000 horsepower dragster to the finish line in less than 4 seconds.

For a driver who was used to 300-400 lap races spread across 3 hours on a weekend, a switch to drag racing would be like entering an alien territory. Which is exactly what Stewart has experienced so far. “This is a humbling sport; it’s not what you and I were used to. Where drag racing its the opposite of that. Instead of being in a car for three and a half hours, you’re literally driving the car for three and a half seconds. Going from 0-330 mph in 3.6 seconds on a good run. So it’s drastically different.” Tony Stewart said this in episode 68 of Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour podcast.

Stewart came agonizingly close to clinching his first Top Fuel win at the NHRA Sonoma Nationals. But he was outclassed by former champion Antron Brown in the showdown despite a good start off the line. He bounced back at the US Nationals and managed to lock himself in the final six races of the season. Thus qualifying for the playoffs and still keeping his hopes for the championship alive in what has been an up-and-down year piloting the Direct Connection Doge/SRT dragster.

Although Smoke is trying to find his footing in the Top Fuel, he is certainly enjoying the whole process. “But I really enjoy it; I mean, when you think of the fact that one motor that’s sitting behind me is the same horsepower as the top half of the starting field of the Daytona 500 combined and you sit there and go, that’s right behind me,” he added.

However, another big talking point from the podcast was Stewart’s take on shutting down his NASCAR team, Stewart Haas Racing.

It was a bitter feeling for Tony Stewart to decide to shut down SHR

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Only a handful of NASCAR drivers have been able to successfully transition into the role of a team owner. In Tony Stewart’s case, he even won the championship as owner/driver in 2011. This legacy was carried on by Kevin Harvick and the #4 team as they bagged a second championship for the team in 2014. Their consistent championship 4 appearance made them a powerhouse team and were part of the Big 4 in the Cup Series.

However, after 16 years, the owners decided to part ways due to financial constraints and dipping output on the racetrack. It certainly wasn’t an easy decision for Stewart to leave the sport where he rose to legendary status, but he had to make that tough call. “I don’t know if it’s even bittersweet. It’s more bitter than sweet, I feel; it’s a tough decision, but things in life change.”

“You know NASCAR; you and I’ve been around it for a long time. It is not what it used to be. It is drastically different than it used to be, and that’s okay for some people, and for some people it’s not. I guess I’m one of those people that have a lot of respect for the France family… I mean you look at what’s going on with 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports right now and the direction the things are going in. And it’s not the direction I want to be a part of.” Stewart explained.

Things certainly have changed for Stewart; he’s now going to become a father and has to look after his team in NHRA. So his exit from NASCAR will only allow him to focus on his new priorities and personal commitments.