“Takes some getting used to, doesn’t it?” Tony Stewart joked as he embarked on a new racing adventure—drag racing. For a man who has driven stock cars, open-wheel race cars, and many other vehicles, this seemed like just another challenge. However, the world of drag racing presents unique challenges, from 330 mph speeds to tricky left turns. That’s likely why Stewart couldn’t pull off a stellar performance in his rookie year.

A recent race at zMAX Dragway brought Stewart back to his NASCAR home turf. But despite his four Cup Series wins at Charlotte Motor Speedway, they didn’t help him as he narrowly missed victory. With his former team driver Kevin Harvick watching with his family, the loss likely stung even more.

Tony Stewart mucks up his attempt

Taking up his wife Leah Pruett’s ride in 2024, Tony Stewart was ready for a new challenge. As the only man to win championships in USAC, IndyCar, and NASCAR, Stewart seemed well-prepared to handle the high speeds of drag racing. Entering the NHRA Carolina Nationals 7th in points, the motorsports veteran aimed to close his 94-point deficit. However, Doug Kalitta emerged as a tough competitor, improving his season record over Stewart to 3-0. Former Stewart-Haas Racing driver Kevin Harvick watched as his former boss struggled.

Unfortunately, Stewart didn’t make it past Round 1 of the Top Fuel event, and his absence in Round 2 was noted. Journalist Kelly Crandall updated fans on X: “Tony Stewart, the No. 13 qualifier, falls to Doug Kalitta in E1. Stewart smoked the tires during the run.” The successful double champion and 4-time Cup Series winner at Charlotte Motor Speedway couldn’t prevail today. “Smoke” ended up smoking the tires on an 11,000-horsepower NHRA Top Fuel dragster—not for victory, but in frustration.

However, Stewart, who has survived many crashes in his nearly 53 years, is unlikely to give up easily. Tony Stewart has an accurate understanding of NHRA and thinks it is quite different from other motorsports. “Pretty much everything in my motorsports world was somewhat under the same bubble, just some things were off to the side, some were somewhere in the middle. But they all had aspects that were very similar.” He added, “But this sport, this is very different. Drag racing, it’s on Fantasy Island over here. Every day I feel like when I go through the gate there’s going to be Tattoo and his white tuxedo going, ‘Welcome to the races today!'”

The winner of the Carolina Nationals agrees with Stewart, understanding the significance of success in NHRA.

Three-time champion adds to his laurels

Trending

New Parents Tony Stewart and Leah Pruett Share Their Complete Family Photo, and Fans Pour in Love for Baby Stewart

Ryan Blaney Risking Upsetting His Soon to Be Wife as He Reveals His Plans for the Off-Season After Failing to Defend His Title

Who Is Chase Elliott’s Girlfriend Ashley Anderson? Everything You Need to Know About NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver’s Rumored Love Interest

Denny Hamlin’s One Final FedEx Tribute Steals the NASCAR Awards Spotlight as He Uncovers Drivers ‘Disgruntled’ Emotions

Martin Truex Jr. Girlfriend: Who Is Emily Collins, the Former JGR Star’s Red Carpet Flame

Primarily a NASCAR racer, Tony Stewart is still testing the waters in NHRA. On the flip side, the sport’s top star, Antron Brown, has already experienced the full spectrum of emotions in Top Fuel. The three-time NHRA Top Fuel champion opened this year’s Countdown to the Championship with two consecutive victories. But Brown’s Charlotte win wasn’t easy—he had to fend off four-time NHRA champ Steve Torrence. Doug Kalitta, who defeated Stewart, eventually fell to Brown’s unmatched speed. After his victory, Brown proudly stated, “Our team beat all of that resistance with persistence.”

Antron Brown is proud of his success, having clinched his seventh win at zMAX Dragway and his 63rd Top Fuel victory. Like Stewart, he knows how tough it is to win NHRA races, yet he continues to excel. “I never thought that I would be here winning the races that we’ve won. One day when I retire, I’ll sit there in a little rocking chair, and I’ll look at my trophy room, and I’ll count them one by one and see if I can remember the memories from each one because each one of those Walleys have a story to them. It’s like you’re living that dream. You just never knew the dream could be this big.”

Clearly, Tony Stewart needs to buckle up to make his own dream come true. Given his versatility as a racer, he’ll likely achieve this in no time!