When Tony Stewart added another championship to his cabinet in 2024, he felt blessed. He won his first NHRA drag racing championship in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. It was a wholesome milestone in his relatively fresh NHRA journey, and yet only the latest of feats in a star-studded career. So after Stewart could not get it done in 2025, he reflected on his past success and gracefully accepted it.

‘Smoke’ has reigned fans’ hearts with his prowess in multiple series – three championships in the NASCAR Cup Series, an IndyCar title, and a USAC ‘triple crown’. Yet as new fatherhood duties have sprung up for Tony Stewart, he is ready to pause his motorsports success.

Tony Stewart accepts his fate honorably

After a rollercoaster ride this season, Tony Stewart could not clinch the NHRA World Championship. Nevertheless, the legend is not distraught about the result, as the journey mattered to him more. He wrote on X, “Myself and the Top Fuel team were hoping we would be in a position to race for the World Championship at the end of the season. But the goal at the beginning of the season was to just see the needle move in the right direction. So, to win two races and win the Regular Season Championship and even have an opportunity to race for the World Championship was moving in the right direction.”

In early September, Tony Stewart picked up a Top Fuel regular-season championship. This placed him as the top seed in the countdown to the championship. Unfortunately, he faced problems, like the mechanical failures at the 40th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals in mid-October. Then, at the Top Fuel Semi-Final round at the start of this month, Stewart could not beat Brittany Force, as she edged him with a 3.694 to his 3.720. She repeated the outcome of her rematch of their final-round clash at the NHRA New England Nationals with a cylinder-dropping 3.82 to his tire-smoking 5.01.

This fallout may have deprived Tony Stewart of his chance at the championship. But it gifted him more time to spend with the bundle of joy he shares with his wife, Leah Pruett – Dominic James Stewart. “Here we are, and Dominic’s a year old. To have the experience at the racetrack with him this season was something that we can’t even put into words. You can’t plan ahead and think about what it’s going to feel like, you just have to live it and experience it. Having your son grow and be at the racetrack every weekend just adds to the experience, so this year has been amazing.”

At the end of this year, Leah Pruett will resume her duties in Tony Stewart Racing, from which her husband will take a backseat. Yet Tony Stewart is gearing up for the 2026 NHRA season nonetheless. He will take the wheel of the Elite Motorsports Top Fuel dragster. The Indiana-native will do so alongside six-time Pro Stock world champion Erica Enders and drag racing phenom Aaron Stanfield.

What’s more, Tony Stewart’s rumored comeback to NASCAR is also setting off ripples.

The hints are growing intense

While Tony Stewart dedicates his time to the NHRA, a piece of his heart inevitably lies in NASCAR. He picked up 49 Cup trophies and three championships. He also owned a stellar team, Stewart-Haas Racing, which also fetched two titles alongside 70 victories. What’s more, fans miss the old-school, no-nonsense attitude that Stewart symbolized during his heyday. So the recent comments by Kaulig Racing CEO, Chris Rice, must be music to fans’ ears.

Kaulig will field five Ram entries for the 2026 Craftsman Truck Series, marking a significant comeback of Dodge to the sport. And Kasey Kahne and Tony Stewart are top names to consider. “We do not have a contract with either one of those guys,” Rice said. “Do we have conversations about those guys? Absolutely. Do we have conversations about everybody that drove a Dodge car? Absolutely, guys. So you can put in there every single person that’s been in a Dodge car, right?” While Brendan Queen, Justin Haley, and Daneil Dye have attained rides, two rides are still empty.

With Tony Stewart’s increased focus on fatherhood duties, we can only wait and see what he decides to do. No matter what, ‘Smoke’ would thrill us for sure.