Three-time NASCAR Cup Series, IndyCar, Chili Bowl Nationals, USAC, and SRX champion Tony Stewart is adding a new discipline to his full-time foray in an already illustrious motorsports career.
The 52-year old will be behind the wheel of the McPhillips Racing Mobil 1 No. 314 NHRA Top Alcohol dragster during the 2023 season.
“I am super excited about the season,” Stewart said in a press release. “It’s been a long winter, and I think what’s made it feel even longer is the fact that we’ve been working on putting this package together with the McPhillips family to expand on what we did at Las Vegas last year and get back in the seat. I want to keep learning about the sport and have the opportunity to go compete more this year with a team I really enjoy.”
The series is the parallel to that of the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
Stewart made his debut in it during the 2022 season, where he advanced all the way to the final round at the NHRA Nevada Nationals and was defeated by just two ten-thousandths of a second.
“To be able to go to Vegas last year with the McPhillips family was really special,” Stewart said. “Pops [Rich McPhillips] and Richie [McPhillips Jr.] are an unbelievable family to drive for. Everyone on the crew is a fun group of guys to race with. It’s nerve-wracking to try and do something different, but when you have a team like what the McPhillips Racing team has, it makes everything a lot easier.”
In the Top Alcohol class, each driver is eligible to earn points at their first 10 national events. Their best six finishes in those 10 races will decide their national championship points total.
It’s early yet, but Stewart is a competitor. He wants to get better at a new craft, and it just might bring a title his way.
“It’s hard to sit there and know what expectations we should have for the year,” Stewart said. “I think as long as I keep learning more and more as I go by trying to be more consistent with driving the car, keep it in the groove, trying to stay consistent on reaction times and improve reaction times, those are all goals for me. I want to keep learning and get better every weekend and every race we go to.”
Stewart currently has 13 NHRA events on his 2023 schedule as well as a regional race prior to the start of the season set for early March.
“Getting prepared for this season over the winter has been about trying to understand what the schedule is going to look like,” Stewart said. “I’m just trying to prepare for every racetrack we go to – the shutdown areas and which way to turn off the racetrack. Just simple things and small details that the people that have been in this sport for years already know. That’s what this sport is all about, small details. Preparing for the season is thinking about all the small details it takes to be successful.”
Stewart opens his season with the the NHRA Baby Gators regional race being held at Gainesville March 1-5. His entire schedule can be seen below.
“It’s been like being a little kid all over again,” Stewart said. “When I was racing go-karts, I couldn’t wait for the winter to be over so I could go racing. That’s where I’m at all over again. I’m going to have great teammates in Matt Cummings and Jasmine Salinas. They are two people that have won a lot of races and championships. Having them as teammates will be an asset. The hard part is sometimes I’ll have to race them for the win. Hopefully, we don’t get paired up until the end of the day, and it’s a win for the team as a whole. I’m excited and honored to be a part of the NHRA.”
Tony Stewart’s planned 2023 drag racing schedule
Mar. 1-5 | Baby Gators NHRA Regional event @ Gainesville
Mar. 9-12 | Gatornationals @ Gainesville
Mar. 30-Apr. 2 | Winternationals @ Pomona
Apr. 14-16 | Four-Wide Nationals @ Las Vegas
Apr. 28-30 | Four-Wide Nationals @ Charlotte
Jun. 22-25 | NHRA Nationals @ Summit Racing Equipment M.P.
Aug. 11-13 | Menards NHRA Nationals @ Heartland M.P.
Aug. 17-20 | Lucas NHRA Nationals @ Brainerd
Aug. 30-Sep. 4 | US Nationals @ Indianapolis
Sep. 14-17 | Pep Boys NHRA Nationals @ Maple Grove
Sep. 22-24 | Carolina Nationals @ Charlotte
Oct. 12-15 | Texas NHRA Fall Nationals @ Texas
Oct. 26-29 | NHRA Nevada Nationals @ Las Vegas
Nov. 9-12 | In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals
