Tony Stewart is just days away from his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start at the iconic Daytona International Speedway. It’s been a decade since the NASCAR champion raced at the 2.5-mile, tri-oval speedway, and well, he needed some practice.
Earlier this year, Stewart announced that he would make a one-off appearance for Kaulig Racing at the season-opening Fresh From Florida 250. His last Cup Series start came in 2016. Since then, Stewart has not entered a single stock car event.
Furthermore, Stewart has never raced a truck at Daytona. So, he signed up for a future iRacing event to rediscover the nuances of the World Center of Racing.
“It’s been 10 years since I’ve ran @DAYTONA, and I’ve never done it in a truck. Safe to say, I needed some practice,” Tony Stewart wrote on X. “Thanks to @iRacing , I can do just that. Head over to my YouTube channel and go behind the scenes with me and my spotter, TJ Bell, as we prepare for my upcoming return to @NASCAR with @RamTrucks and @KauligRacing!”
Having Tony Stewart on board as a part of Kaulig’s unique five-truck fleet shows how serious the organization is about its Truck Series program. Reflecting on the same, Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis told NASCAR.com:
“I’ll tell you this, if you have ever met or if you know Matt Kaulig (owner, Kaulig Racing), there is no such thing as an aggressive goal. I mean, that guy wakes up at an 11 every day, man. He’s just going, going and going, and there’s no slowing that guy down!”
Besides Stewart, Kaulig Racing recently tabbed Timothy “Mini” Tyrrell as the driver of its No. 14 car. Others on Kaulig’s roster this season are Daniel Dye, Brenden “Butterbean” Queen, and Justin Haley.
“Boy He Picked a Doozy”- Dale Earnhardt Jr. Reacts to Tony Stewart’s NASCAR Return
Tony Stewart retired after the 2016 season, ending an 18-year-long Sprint Cup career. He stayed involved in the now-defunct Stewart-Haas Racing as one of its co-owners. But when it came to racing, the NASCAR stalwart inclined towards NHRA.
So when Stewart announced that he was coming back for a NASCAR adventure, fans went gaga. But Dale Earnhardt Jr. was somewhat sheepish about it. He joked that perhaps Stewart was getting a big fat check for his upcoming Truck Series endeavor.
“He hadn’t been in NASCAR since 2016, and this will be his first Truck race since 2005,” the Hall of Famer said. “Boy, he picked a doozy. The dude don’t give a s**t. I wouldn’t have picked Daytona; I would have picked somewhere else.”
That being said, all eyes are now on Daytona. The drivers will hit the track this Friday, February 13. The 100-lap event will be televised live on FS1, starting at 7:30 pm ET, with exclusive radio updates on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
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