Tony Stewart is preparing for more than just a return to NASCAR. The fans are excited to see him race again, and the Kaulig crew is also focused largely on performance. But there is someone else that Stewart could face on the field, and he’s ready for it. Just months after the NASCAR President was exposed for spewing hate against Stewart’s major racing series, the fire doesn’t seem to be dying down, at least from Stewart’s side.

Tony Stewart on facing the NASCAR president after scandal

“I’m going to do my deal. If I run into Steve O’Donnell, then he’ll have to deal with that part.” Stewart sounds rather bold when it comes to accidentally coming across Steve O’Donnell in the garage. Although the two haven’t gone out after each other, there seems to be a major tension between them.

“I’m gonna go do me, and I don’t really care what he does this week,” Bob Pockrass noted as Stewart said.

This is owing to how the NASCAR authorities felt about Tony Stewart’s Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) racing series, which was exposed in the lawsuit trial. Although it lasted for only three seasons beginning in 2021, it managed to shake up the authorities as it appeared as a business threat.

Before NASCAR’s antitrust lawsuit went into trial, text messages amongst the authorities came to light, and seemingly, they were worried about SRX’s growth. Steve Phelps had also asked NASCAR to “stick a knife in this trash series.”

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“I recall we all became concerned at the look and feel of the series,” O’Donnell said during the trial.

While there was no real reason for NASCAR to be afraid, considering the relatively small scale at which SRX was operating, they were worried about the future. Understandably, these statements didn’t sit well with Tony Stewart. He had dedicated a large part of his career to running the Cup Series, including his tenure as a team owner with Stewart-Haas Racing.

Now that he is prepared to make a return to racing with Kaulig Racing in the Truck Series, there is quite a possibility that Stewart might run into Steve O’Donnell. Phelps left NASCAR after the lawsuit settled, so O’Donnell seems to be the only bothersome factor for Stewart.

This is also the first time Stewart will run a NASCAR race in ten years, but this situation wouldn’t last long for him. He is running under the Ram Trucks’ free driver program, and his term could last for this race. But his preparations are major, considering his lack of experience in a truck.

The worrying factor for Stewart’s NASCAR return

Stewart ran over 600 races in the Cup Series and almost 100 in the Nationwide Series. However, he lacked similar experience in the Truck Series. Throughout his years of racing, Tony Stewart only raced in trucks a total of six times. Although he did end up winning two of those races, that is very limited experience.

Moreover, the driving style has changed massively in recent years, and the last time that he was behind the wheel of a truck was over two decades ago in 2005. This could make his return rather difficult. He hasn’t raced with the new generation of NASCAR drivers.

However, Stewart seems to be making the most of his time currently. With the changing era, he also seems to have adopted with technology, as he recently uploaded a video of his preparations with iRacing. This is a popular simulator amongst drivers, and while Stewart might not have had the time to run at Daytona in many years, the simulator seems to be helping him out well.

Initially, he had only planned to race at Daytona. However, after Ram Trucks CEO Tim Kuniskis’ major announcement, Stewart might stay for more races. While this is yet to be confirmed, Tony Stewart does seem to be extremely bold with his take against the NASCAR authorities.

His situation is understandable. Although SRX stopped racing because of a lack of popularity, Steve O’Donnell and Steve Phelps’ statements against Stewart and the founders were harsh. While seeing him might give him flashbacks, Tony Stewart has more to prepare for.