Owner of Tony Stewart Racing to compete at NHRA Nevada Nationals, Oct. 28-30.
- Stewart, 51, plans to make his NHRA racing debut at the NHRA Nevada Nationals, Oct, 28-30 in Las Vegas.
- Stewart will drive for McPhillips Racing in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series at Las Vegas.
- The multi-time NASCAR champion is keeping his expectations realistic for the NHRA on-track debut.
Three-time NASCAR Cup champion Tony Stewart is going all-in this week at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Stewart, 51, plans to make his NHRA racing debut at the NHRA Nevada Nationals, Oct, 28-30 in Las Vegas.
Stewart, who is in his first year as a team owner of Tony Stewart Racing in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, has completed two multi-day sessions at Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School. He’s also tested both a Top Fuel and Top Alcohol dragster.
Wife Leah Pruett is a racer in the NHRA’s Top Fuel Dragster class.
“I’m excited and nervous at the same time,” Stewart said. “It’s definitely going to be a big learning curve, and to do it at a national event right out of the gate adds to the challenge. But it’s something I’ve really been wanting to do and I’ve been working toward this moment. I’m not taking it lightly. It’s a serious business and I’m going to be as prepared as possible when I get to Las Vegas.”
Stewart will drive for McPhillips Racing with sponsor support from Mobil 1 in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Las Vegas.
“The team I’m driving for, McPhillips Racing, has been awesome to work with,” Stewart said. “They felt like I was ready to compete. With their confidence, that’s given me the confidence and courage to try something new and take the leap.”
Stewart is having a successful run on the owner side of the things in the NHRA, having placed both Pruett and her Funny Car teammate, Matt Hagan, in the series’ Countdown to the Championship playoffs.
“I’ve been a rookie in a lot of different cars over the course of my career. That part won’t be new, but the drag racing side is so different from anything I’ve driven in the past. It’s all about procedures and knowing the routine and doing it the same every time,” Stewart said.
“In all the other forms of racing, you blow a corner and you fix it and do better the next lap. There is no next lap if you screw up in these cars. You have to do it the same every time for the team to be able to tune the car the right way, and you have to do your job. You have to cut good lights and stay in the groove.
“There are a lot of things people don’t think about just by watching on television. I’ve learned a lot from our teams this year. I’m sure it will be sensory overload, but you have to start somewhere.”
The multi-time NASCAR champion is keeping his expectations realistic for the NHRA on-track debut.
“My expectations are just to gain experience and knowledge throughout the weekend,” Stewart said. “It will be nice to go from getting to drive the car to actually competing. Hopefully, we’ll have a good weekend and I’ll get to make a lot of passes.”
The event at Las Vegas will be the latest in a series of NHRA firsts for Stewart. Earlier this season he logged time in the FOX TV broadcast booth for a pair of NHRA weekends.
Mike Pryson Mike Pryson covered auto racing for the Jackson (Mich.) Citizen Patriot and MLive Media Group from 1991 until joining Autoweek in 2011.
Keyword: 3-Time NASCAR Cup Champ Tony Stewart Set for NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster Driving Debut