Earlier, there was heartbreak for NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart. As it turned out, he was supposed to be the grand marshal at Homestead Miami, but was replaced at the last moment. Fortunately, there was some good news for the Stewart camp, as he made a massive announcement. The 3-time NASCAR Cup champion is making his drag racing debut this weekend at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

According to reports, Stewart is linking up with McPhillips Racing in the Top Alcohol dragster division. In NASCAR terminology, this is as good as seeing him compete in the Xfinity Series. He confessed, “I’m excited and nervous at the same time. It’s definitely going to be a big learning curve, and to do it at a national event right out of the gate adds to the challenge. But it’s something I’ve really been wanting to do, and I’ve been working toward this moment. I’m not taking it lightly. It’s a serious business, and I’m going to be as prepared as possible when I get to Las Vegas.”

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How was it possible for Tony Stewart to compete?

It is worth mentioning that Stewart has a Top Fuel license, but he elected to run in the Top Alcohol category. This was courtesy of two multi-day sessions at Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School. The former NASCAR driver will have to contest Q1 and Q2 on Friday, Q3 on Saturday and at least the first round of eliminations on Sunday.

He continued, “I’ve been a rookie in a lot of different cars over the course of my career. That part won’t be new, but the drag racing side is so different from anything I’ve driven in the past. It’s all about procedures and knowing the routine and doing it the same every time. In all the other forms of racing, you blow a corner and you fix it and do better the next lap. There is no next lap if you screw up in these cars. You have to do it the same every time for the team to be able to tune the car the right way, and you have to do your job. You have to cut good lights and stay in the groove.”

He won’t be a complete stranger to drag racing, as he owns a Top Fuel dragster. That dragster is piloted by his wife, Leah Pruett, while Matt Hagan pilots a Funny Car dragster. According to Stewart, he has learned a lot from his teams over the course of the season. Longtime partner Mobil 1 will be backing him for his debut in the drag racing arena. The synthetic motor oil brand was sponsoring him when he won his third Cup title back in 2011.

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