So close, yet so far. That’s exactly what Tony Stewart felt after narrowly missing out on the regional championship last year. The four-time Cup Series winner’s team couldn’t get past the first round at the World Wide Technology Raceway, which would have been enough to secure the title. Smoke was determined to make amends this time around, hoping that marginal improvements at the 1.250-mile track would be enough to be crowned the NHRA North Central Division champion.

This time around, Smoke went wheel-to-wheel with rival Gary Pritchett. Despite struggling on the World Wide Technology Raceway last week, the 53-year-old, along with his McPhillips Racing team, turned their fortunes around with a memorable result.

Tony Stewart comes out on top at World Wide Technology Raceway

It was just the result Tony Stewart was hoping for. Despite having a slow start to the day, the Indiana native was aiming to remain in contention for the Divisional Championship by winning his remaining races. However, standing between Smoke and the championship was Gary Pritchett, who operates as a clutch specialist for Torrence Racing. What followed were entertaining four races where Stewart and Pritchett ran against each other, both drivers giving it their all with the stakes being as high as they were. Perhaps it was the former NASCAR driver’s vast experience that made the difference in the end, as Stewart went on to secure three wins.

Believing that the victory made up for last year’s heartbreaking result, Tony Stewart said after the race, “This is redemption from last year at this event. Literally, when we were here a year ago, all we had to do was get through the first round and we clinched the regional championship. Obviously, we were racing for the national and world championship points as well but all we had to do was get by the first round. We had a problem, the competitor we ran against had the run of their season against us and it was a bitter pill to swallow.”

Tony Stewart’s competitive spirit is the stuff of legends. The heartbreaking result from last year must have played on Smoke’s mind going into the weekend and made him more determined than ever before to secure the championship. Stewart is considered to be one of the most versatile drivers in the world, having tasted success across various motorsports disciplines such as NASCAR, IndyCar, National Midget Series, and many more. Winning the Top Alcohol Dragster North Central Division championship just adds a cherry on the cake.

Tony Stewart stepped into the world of NHRA as a driver after his wife Leah Pruett decided to take a break from the sport to start a family. Smoke began his rookie season behind the wheel of an 11,000-horsepower TSR Dodge//SRT Direct Connection Top Fuel Dragster and secured a victory within a month after making his debut. With the couple expecting their first child in November this year, it will be interesting to see if the 53-year-old continues his NHRA adventure after Pruett returns to the racetrack.

NASCAR fans celebrate Smoke’s NHRA achievement

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It didn’t take long for motorsports fans to share their views about Tony Stewart’s historic NHRA victory. In many ways, the National Hot Rod Association doesn’t get the attention it deserves, despite claiming to be the largest motorsport sanctioning body in the world. Smoke, who won the Top Alcohol Dragster category, brought about a lot of media attention to the competition as well as the category, prompting one fan to write, “Thanks for bringing more attention to this class.”

Stewart is quite a beloved figure within the motorsports community, which is why one fan shared his joy after the result was announced, going on to write, “Hell yeah Smoke.” Echoing that sentiment, another fan expressed his happiness after the racing veteran added yet another achievement to his illustrious career, going on to say, “Way to go Smoke!! Proud of you and the McPhillips Racing TAD Team!! Chalk up another Championship on the resume bud!!! 🏆”.

Hoping that the Divisional Championship isn’t an end to Tony Stewart’s achievements in the NHRA, one fan offered his good wishes while urging the Indiana native to continue working hard to achieve new milestones. The fan wrote on X, “Congratulations, keep grinding 💪💯”. Recognizing that Stewart’s team is also responsible for the championship victory, a motorsports fan expressed his compliments to everyone involved by saying, “Congratulations to Smoke and the McPhillips Racing Family!”