Tony Stewart, a renowned NASCAR champion and NHRA competitor, is making a notable return to Daytona International Speedway this weekend after a decade away from NASCAR racing. Joining Kaulig Racing through Ram’s Free Agent program, Stewart will compete in what marks only his seventh Craftsman Truck Series race, demonstrating a strategic choice to reenter NASCAR at a highly visible super speedway event.
A Racing Icon with a Complex Legacy and Renewed Interest
Throughout his career, Stewart has been both celebrated and controversial, but his skill across multiple motorsport disciplines is undeniable as the sole driver to have earned championships in both NASCAR and IndyCar. Since stepping away from NASCAR in 2016, Stewart has remained active in motorsports by participating in the NHRA’s Top Alcohol Dragster series since 2022. His renewed engagement in NASCAR was triggered by a discussion with Ram’s Tim Kuniskis during last year’s Roadkill Nights in Pontiac, Michigan, emphasizing Ram’s return to the Truck Series and the appeal of the Free Agent program’s flexible driver lineup.
I think it’s a neat thing for us,
Stewart said ahead of the race.
I think it’s going to contribute a lot to NASCAR, and I think, as we all know right now, NASCAR needs all the help they can get right this minute. And it’ll get back sorted out, it’s gonna get healthy again. It’ll be fine. But this is a good way to kind of help with that and get the fans excited about Daytona again, and it’s a small part of it, trust me. I’m not going down there to reinvent the wheel for anybody in the NASCAR fans.
Choosing Daytona: Leveraging Experience at the Super Speedway
Stewart’s choice of Daytona as the venue for his comeback was purposeful. Throughout his NASCAR career, he accumulated 19 victories at Daytona, placing him just behind Dale Earnhardt Sr. in all-time wins at the circuit. The drafting aspect unique to Daytona and Talladega super speedways appealed to Stewart, as it relies on aerodynamic expertise more than evolving vehicle technology, allowing his extensive knowledge and past success there to play a critical role.
I haven’t been in a NASCAR anything for 10 years,
Stewart acknowledged.
So as much as technology’s changed, and all of these different variables changed, all these drivers know — these guys that are running the truck series, they know the handling characteristics of these trucks. But when you go to a place like Daytona and Talladega, they aren’t necessarily the same handling characteristics, and the things that you truly need to know about that is the draft. It doesn’t matter how much technology changes, the one thing that doesn’t change at Daytona is the air. So I think our record book shows we have a pretty good success rate at Daytona, and at least that we understand that part of it.
Race Preparation and Starting Position
Despite limited preparation, Stewart will start from 15th position in the upcoming race, following fan favorites such as Cleetus McFarland in 12th and Travis Pastrana in 13th. Due to Kaulig Racing’s shortage of spare trucks for its four-entry team, Stewart missed out on traditional practice sessions. Nevertheless, his extensive experience in drafting and knowledge of large-track racing conditions are expected to help him compete effectively against regular Truck Series drivers who are more familiar with vehicle dynamics in their series.
For these kids in the truck series, the majority of them are trying to figure out the same things,
Stewart remarked.
So I feel like making that decision to run Daytona was more out of the things that I knew about restrictor plate racing, and the variables that are the same variables these kids are going to have to learn. So, I feel it puts us more on an even playing field as far as what they know versus what I know right now. So that was really ultimately the decision for why I picked a truck race at Daytona.
Future Plans and Potential Appearances
While Stewart has not confirmed whether he will participate in additional races within the Ram Free Agent program this season, he hinted that future appearances could favor other super speedway events like Talladega, depending on how well this race at Daytona unfolds for his team. Ram’s performance at Daytona will likely influence Stewart’s involvement moving forward, adding anticipation to his ongoing engagement in NASCAR’s Craftsman Truck Series.
