NASCAR Corridor of Famer Tony Stewart is ready to embark on his second full season behind the wheel of a High Gasoline dragster.
Stewart, who shocked the motorsports world in late 2023 with the announcement of filling in for his spouse, Leah Pruett, for the total NHRA Mission Meals Drag Racing Collection slate in 2024 as they deliberate to start out a household, was leaping off the deep finish.
The motive force nicknamed “Smoke” had been a circle monitor racer for many years. Throughout that point, he reached the top in a number of collection as a multi-time champion and numerous race winner on dust and asphalt.
Nonetheless, transitioning to tug racing’s premiere collection was a brand new beast to overcome.
Heading into 2024, Stewart was ready as one could possibly be following a runner-up season competing for NHRA’s Nationwide High Alcohol title.
Whereas query marks loomed on how the racing legend would adapt to 330-plus mph passes in a High Gasoline automobile, Stewart admitted his consolation stage rose “sooner than I even anticipated.”
“I believe by the third race, I used to be beginning to really feel somewhat bit extra comfy and I’d say for positive, by midpoint of the season,” Stewart mentioned.
“I do know there’s eventualities that haven’t occurred but that I’m going to should cope with on a run. However for essentially the most half, I felt like I’d been by means of sufficient stuff that I felt comfy within the crew conferences on the finish of the weekend, the crew chief and the blokes are telling you you’re doing an excellent job driving the automobile.
“So long as you’re getting that endorsement from these guys, as a result of they’re those which might be placing all of the labor into it.”
An added bonus for Stewart was having two built-in driver coaches at his aspect in spouse Pruett and Humorous Automotive driver Matt Hagan.
“Having Leah and Matt as coaches, I imply, I had all of the assets obtainable to me to have a profitable rookie season,” Stewart mentioned.
“With these guys’ assist, I obtained comfy very fast.”
Whereas Stewart was unable to hoist a Wally in his first yr of High Gasoline competitors, he earned rookie-of-the-year honors. Paradoxically, it was Stewart’s first rookie award in 26 years when he took the NASCAR Cup Collection tour by storm in 1999.
The 53-year-old “rookie” reached the ultimate spherical twice and earned 4 semifinal appearances. On prime of that, Stewart averaged the fourth-best response time (0.070 seconds) out of all High Gasoline drivers.
As somebody whose roots are deeply tied in side-by-side racing on oval tracks, any tendencies Stewart realized in his extraordinarily profitable open-wheel or inventory automobile profession are virtually ineffective.
“I believe the drag racing aspect is so drastically completely different from every part else that you just haven’t needed to fear about breaking dangerous habits since you didn’t have any habits over right here,” Stewart mentioned.
“It actually was ranging from a clean sheet of paper. Being able to look at for a pair years and be Leah’s boyfriend after which Leah’s husband and be on the race monitor and watch her and watch Matt.
“That type of led into my alternative to run within the alcohol class and nonetheless having Leah’s mentorship there,” Stewart continued. “Leah, lots of instances, was in a position to come watch my alcohol run.
“I believe that basically made the educational course of a lot, a lot simpler and way more fulfilling.
“There’s very, only a few instances that I really feel just like the issues that basically made me good in circle monitor racing actually applies to the drag racing aspect now. It’s only a completely completely different self-discipline.”
Stewart will head into this season with a big a part of the educational course of behind him and many to look ahead to as he confirmed flashes of what’s to return.
