Tony Stewart returns to NASCAR in rare media form

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For the briefest of moments, Tony Stewart is again in NASCAR, and it seemed like he by no means left.

The three-time Cup Sequence champion is returning to the Craftsman Truck Sequence in a one-off look at Daytona Worldwide Speedway to commemorate the return of RAM and he was in uncommon type certainly.

‘Smoke’ ribbed the media and scoffed at NASCAR officers who earned his scorn since his departure from the trade but in addition confirmed the softer aspect that has emerged in recent times as a husband and father. All advised, it was the most effective of Tony Stewart in an surroundings that he had sworn off to anybody that requested him since November 2024.

For instance, Stewart mentioned on Thursday that it doesn’t matter how properly the Truck Sequence race goes on Friday, however he isn’t ever going to run the Daytona 500 once more, despite the fact that it’s a race he by no means received.

“Thanks for the reminder, Matt,” mentioned Stewart, to a query requested by Motorsport.com. “As a result of I by no means was going to keep in mind that I hadn’t received the Daytona 500.”

However, once more, he’s again so possibly at 54-years-old, there might nonetheless be extra alternatives?

“We will lead each lap tomorrow night time and I can’t be again right here for the Daytona 500,” Stewart mentioned. “I’m fairly good in any case these years of claiming by no means. You’ll not see me right here for the Daytona 500.”

Okay, positive, however that is additionally the identical Tony Stewart that mentioned after the closure of Stewart-Haas Racing that he wouldn’t be again at a NASCA R occasion for a very long time both. He left the self-discipline very pissed off over what course the trade’s management had taken.

But, right here he’s.

“So yeah, I received to stop listening to myself typically,” Stewart mentioned with fun.

Stewart is the second winningest NASCAR driver all-time at Daytona behind Dale Earnhardt Sr. and had a repute of being very agitated when somebody threw what he deemed a nasty block. So now, Stewart has entered a race that has no scarcity of dangerous blocks.

So is Stewart keen to affect some knowledge on Friday night time if want be? His reply to that was Stewart in uncommon type, too.

“I am more than pleased to present classes tomorrow night time when in the event that they’re wanted,” Stewart mentioned. “I’m not encouraging it however actually, once I was within the Busch Sequence again within the day, that’s how I discovered my classes. If I made the error, I paid the value for it.”

The implication is that Stewart wouldn’t elevate for a nasty block.

“So usually, once you’re sitting there within the infield, and also you’re unbuckling, you bought a little bit bit of additional time to take a seat there and take into consideration how you bought there.”

Stewart mentioned asking that query, and getting this reply, is how Motorsport.com makes its cash. However getting ready for the race, in no matter type it takes, is how Stewart makes his cash.

“It’s the one which makes you cash and places cash in your pocket,” Stewart mentioned. “It’s the factor I don’t give two shits about over right here. All I care about is doing what I can to get in that truck to get myself in the most effective place to win the race.

“The objective is to not go on the market and attempt to decide fights all night time if that is what you are getting at. It is actually to go on the market and know that there are guys that do not have the expertise that we’ve got which are going to go on the market and make errors.

“If and when these conditions occur, I don’t wish to be collateral harm in them.”

Learn Additionally:

Throughout the 23XI Racing and Entrance Row Motorsports v NASCAR antitrust trial, it was revealed that NASCAR management needed the Famous person Racing Expertise league shutdown. SRX went out of enterprise after the 2023 season.

Then NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps mentioned he needed a ‘knife put into that trash collection’ whereas president Steve O’Donnell needed the authorized division to look into SRX for ‘trying like NASCAR.’ Phelps left NASCAR after the trial.

Has Stewart seen O’Donnell within the storage this week?

“No, I’ve not had that pleasure but,” Stewart mentioned. “In no way.”

Does he wish to discuss to O’Donnell?

“I’ll do my deal,” Stewart mentioned. “If I run into Steve O O’Donnell, he’ll must take care of that half however I’m going to go do me and I do not actually care what he does this week.”

To organize for this race, which is in a RAM fielded by Kaulig Racing, Stewart has spent the previous month on iRacing. He had his spotter, TJ Bell, spot for him in these races. He can even watch Bell spot for AJ Allmendinger within the Duel at Daytona on Thursday night time.

And as a lot as issues have modified, that is nonetheless pack racing at Daytona, and Stewart was once one of many very best to ever do it.

“However there’s one factor once you come to Daytona and Talladega that hasn’t modified and that is the air the air is identical,” Stewart mentioned. “Irrespective of how a lot know-how has modified, the air hasn’t modified.

“So, it is actually studying the truck, it is studying the way it sucks up or would not suck up. It is what occurs once you pull out of the draft. How a lot does it fall on its face and what occurs when anyone tucks down on the door?”

Finally, these are issues he says he hasn’t forgotten and will come again fairly shortly.

“It’s nonetheless Daytona and it’s nonetheless studying the draft and all that,” Stewart mentioned. “Although I haven’t raced with these guys, and I haven’t ran a truck right here, we all know what this air does right here and it’s simply matter of studying how the truck reacts to that.”