NASCAR Corridor of Famer Tony Stewart is ready to embark on his second full season behind the wheel of a Prime Gasoline dragster.
Stewart, who shocked the motorsports world in late 2023 with the announcement of filling in for his spouse, Leah Pruett, for the complete 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 observe racer for many years. Throughout that point, he reached the head in a number of sequence as a multi-time champion and numerous race winner on dust and asphalt.
Nonetheless, transitioning to tug racing’s premiere sequence 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 Prime Alcohol title.
Whereas query marks loomed on how the racing legend would adapt to 330-plus mph passes in a Prime Gasoline automotive, Stewart admitted his consolation degree rose “sooner than I even anticipated.”
“I believe by the third race, I used to be beginning to really feel a bit bit extra snug and I might say for positive, by midpoint of the season,” Stewart mentioned.
“I do know there’s situations that haven’t occurred but that I’m going to need to take care of on a run. However for probably the most half, I felt like I’d been by means of sufficient stuff that I felt snug within the crew conferences on the finish of the weekend, the crew chief and the fellows are telling you you’re doing a very good job driving the automotive.
“So long as you’re getting that endorsement from these guys, as a result of they’re those which are placing all of the labor into it.”
An added bonus for Stewart was having two built-in driver coaches at his facet in spouse Pruett and Humorous Automotive driver Matt Hagan.
“Having Leah and Matt as coaches, I imply, I had all of the sources obtainable to me to have a profitable rookie season,” Stewart mentioned.
“With these guys’ assist, I bought snug very fast.”
Whereas Stewart was unable to hoist a Wally in his first 12 months of Prime Gasoline competitors, he earned rookie-of-the-year honors. Mockingly, 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 high of that, Stewart averaged the fourth-best response time (0.070 seconds) out of all Prime Gasoline drivers.
As somebody whose roots are deeply tied in side-by-side racing on oval tracks, any tendencies Stewart discovered in his extraordinarily profitable open-wheel or inventory automotive profession are virtually ineffective.
“I believe the drag racing facet is so drastically totally different from every part else that you simply 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 observe and watch her and watch Matt.
“That form of led into my alternative to run within the alcohol class and nonetheless having Leah’s mentorship there,” Stewart continued. “Leah, lots of occasions, was in a position to come watch my alcohol run.
“I believe that actually made the training course of a lot, a lot simpler and way more satisfying.
“There’s very, only a few occasions that I really feel just like the issues that actually made me good in circle observe racing actually applies to the drag racing facet now. It’s only a completely totally different self-discipline.”
Stewart will head into this season with a big a part of the training course of behind him and many to sit up for as he confirmed flashes of what’s to return.
