Tony Stewart Makes a 5-Word Admission on What “Separates the Great Ones” in the Racing Arena

“Racing is life – that’s all I live for, this is all I care about.” Inspiring a generation of drivers, Tony Stewart spent his entire career on this core principle. Accustomed to championship trophies as a NASCAR driver as well as team owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, he spent decades mastering every racing format. And now he is ready to spill his winning secrets.

Stewart recently teamed up with Mobil 1 to trace his phenomenal racing journey. The NASCAR Hall of Famer also revealed what drew him to this sport and what fueled his relentless passion all these years. 

Seven years after retirement, Stewart still wants to be faster than everybody

The only driver to win NASCAR and IndyCar titles, Tony Stewart officially hung his NASCAR helmet in 2016. But no one could keep him away from the racetracks. At 52, he is still winning races, be it in his SRX series, or the NHRA Drag race earlier this year. Even if he failed to win the championship, that was not why he raced. What lay ahead did not matter. Win or lose, alive or not – there are no guarantees in racing after all. What did matter then?

Stewart explained, “Every time you put that uniform on and you put that helmet on and you strap in a race car, there is no other feeling than that you don’t know what’s going to happen. You don’t know what’s ahead. You don’t even know if you’ll be alive at the end of it. That’s not what matters. It’s about that feeling it gives you every time you get in that race car and you know you’re getting ready to drive.”

That belonging in a racecar, that thirst for victory, that was how he instantly identified the makings of a pure racer. He insisted, “People think it’s always about speed and it’s not. The speed isn’t the draw, the competition is the draw and trying to figure out how to be just a little bit faster than everybody else.” 

Unanimously hailed as one himself, Stewart could always distinguish a great driver from a good driver. Stewart remarks, “The good ones, they win their share of races and they’re happy. The great ones savor it for 24 hours and then, after that, all they care about is thinking about the next one and trying to figure out how to win the next.”

Watch this story: “Worth Every Penny of 3 Million”–NASCAR Legend and fans unite to celebrate Tony Stewart Anniversary

And true to his word, Tony Stewart did precisely that after missing out on the NHRA finals.

Tony Stewart would always want a second date after losing a race

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In his NHRA Drag Racing debut last year, Tony Stewart fell an agonizing 0.0002 seconds short of seasoned alcohol-class racer Madison Payne. Despite having no prior experience, Stewart qualified in the 2nd place and also finished as a runner-up. 

When Susan Wade from Autoweek asked him whether he would come back to compete, the prolific racer had his answer ready, “Yeah, I want to have a second date.” This year, Stewart jumped back in the Drag Racing pool and faced Payne once again.

Unfortunately, after besting Payne in Round 1, Stewart could not match Shawn Cowie’s pace in Round 2. Nevertheless, he added another feather as a team owner when his Tony Stewart Racing driver, Matt Hagan, won the Funny Car Championship. This versatility and determination to conquer every race on every track is what sets him apart from other drivers his age.

As he pointed out, “I think it kind of proves everybody wrong when they say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. So when I take off the helmet the very last time, I think that’s one of the things I’m going to be the most proud of.” And that’s how he proves year after year – Tony Stewart is not just a good driver, he is one of the greatest of them all. 

Read More: Tony Stewart Reveals How Hate Fueled His Winning Intensity Across Various Crests of Motorsports