Tony Stewart‘s quest for motorsport dominance continues, with the NHRA DENSO Sonoma Nationals marking his latest venture. Having already conquered NASCAR, IndyCar, and USAC, Stewart is now making his mark in the world of drag racing. Despite narrowly missing the historic feat of becoming the first driver to win major races in four disciplines, Stewart has quickly established himself as a force to be reckoned with on the drag racing circuit, showcasing his impressive starting line skills.

Four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart recently shared his struggles with transitioning from stock car racing to drag racing. In a candid interview, Stewart discussed the unique challenges and learning curve he faced in drag racing, revealing that his NASCAR experience didn’t directly translate to this new arena.

Tony Stewart shares his struggles in drag racing

Stewart, who joined the Cup Series in 1999 and quickly made a name for himself, won Rookie of the Year and went on to secure three championships in 2002, 2005, 2011 and, and one as an owner (2014). With 49 Cup Series wins and a stellar career, Stewart retired from NASCAR in 2016, leaving a lasting legacy.

Drag racing wasn’t initially on Stewart’s radar, but when the chance arose, he embraced it. His venture into the Top Fuel Dragster series started as a temporary substitute for his wife, Leah Pruett, who took a break mid-season to prepare for their first child. Stewart took the wheel of her 11,000-horsepower car, making waves in the series. Despite his success, Stewart acknowledged the significant differences between drag racing and stock car racing, which posed unique challenges.

Talking on the Pat McAfee show, Tony Stewart said, “This is the polar opposite of what I did in NASCAR. NASCAR I was in the car for three and a half hours now the Run lasts three and a half seconds so we’re talking everything is to the thousandth of a second not tenth of a second 100th of a second. to the thousandth of a second is what makes the difference in these cars.”

Stewart’s biggest challenge is with the reflexes. Reiterating this; he revealed, “Honestly and it’s something that I’ve struggled with even this year last year I was running a Top Fuel Dragster that ran in the 270-280 mph range and still had to go through the same thing on reaction times.” 

Here’s why reaction time is so crucial: In drag racing, the competition begins with a synchronized start. All drivers line up on a straight course, awaiting the starting signal. A series of amber lights on the “Christmas tree” signal flashes to alert drivers to prepare. When the final green light illuminates, the race begins, with the first driver to reach the designated finish line declared the winner.

Stewart blamed the struggles on the NASCAR format and talked about what he has to do to adapt to this format of racing. He said, “I came from cars where I was going to be in there for three and a half hours, so I got in there and tried to get calm because I was going to be in there a while. Now I’m doing the opposite now I’m having to try to get my heart rate up I’m trying to get my energy up I’m trying to get like I’m getting ready to go into a fight that’s what that’s what you have to have that energy when you get in because everything is on that reaction time on the light for the driver.” 

Even if the race only lasts for a couple of seconds, it is extremely physically demanding. Stewart further in the conversation dwells on this.

Drag racing is strenuous for the four-time NASCAR Cup series champion

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Being a seasoned champion in other racing disciplines has transitioned to drag racing as a rookie. However, he did not just jump into the sport, to gain valuable experience, he enrolled in the Frank Hawley School of Drag Racing in Florida in 2021. During his time at the school, Stewart gained a newfound appreciation for drag racing, having driven Super Comp and Top Alcohol Dragster machines at Bradenton Motorsports Park. Although Stewart initially never factored in how physically demanding drag racing is.

Further in the conversation, he said, “One thing I didn’t think about and never factored into it when I started driving these cars I didn’t think it was that physical and I’ve always watched as a fan and watched it on TV and I’m like why are these guys out of breath I mean we can hold our breath in a swimming pool for almost a minute and these guys make a sub-four second run and they get out and they’re breathing heavy.”

Eventually getting in tahe drag racing driver’s shoes, Stewart realized why they were out of breath as he explained, “It’s because your heart rate and everything’s so high but when you hit the gas you get up to 6 and 1/2 G’s and then when you throw the shoots at the end to slow down and stop it’s another 6 G’s the opposite direction. So you have a 12g swing with your body weight your helmet everything in that car is going back when you hit the gas and as soon as the shoots come out it tries to throw you through the windshield,” he added.

Feeling tired just reading that, right? God knows how the 53-year-old does it! Well, he is a legend for a reason.