NASCAR has gone through a turbulent offseason. The lawsuit brought out several unpleasant elements, ranging from derogatory text messages to jaw-dropping financial troubles. Although the lawsuit was settled favorably, the damage done to the sport’s reputation was undeniable. Yet at the start of 2026, a former legendary racer of NASCAR – Tony Stewart – is lending a helping hand.

Why Tony Stewart is motivated to return

“I think it’s going to contribute a lot to NASCAR, and I think, as we all know right now, NASCAR needs all the help they can get right this minute. And it’ll get back sorted out. It’s going to get healthy again. It’ll be fine. But, this is a good way to kind of help with that and kind of get the fans excited about Daytona again, and it’s a small part of it,” Tony Stewart said in an interview with journalist Peter Stratta.

After ten years, ‘Smoke’ is returning to NASCAR competition. The 54-year-old Tony Stewart is gearing up to race at Daytona International Speedway, wheeling a Kaulig Racing Ram truck. He will be part of Ram’s “free agent program,” driving alongside Brenden “Butterbean” Queen, Daniel Dye, Justin Haley, and a fourth driver determined by a reality show.

“Yeah, I think in the big picture of this, for Ram to make the commitment to come back in the truck series and obviously the season starts at Daytona. So, you know, hopefully it just brings some more attention to it. I think the program that you’ve created to have guys like myself, give us an opportunity to come in and do a race or two if we want. That’s a unique opportunity that just isn’t out there for everybody,” Tony Stewart continued.

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The three-time Cup Series champion’s comeback comes months after a nasty involvement with the NASCAR lawsuit. The trial exposed the fact that NASCAR executives called Tony Stewart’s defunct Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) a “trash series” in text exchanges. Stewart had embroiled in confrontations with NASCAR in his own time.

“I didn’t have the best relationship with NASCAR,” Stewart said. “Surely, over the last 12 months, I’ve had more reason than not to not have the best of relationships.” But he brushed all these aside for his Ram entry.

And Tony Stewart’s return, as jaw-dropping as it was for fans, was equally shocking for his family.

The shockwaves reached his better half

Tony Stewart last raced in NASCAR in 2016. Since then, a lot of things have unfolded in his life, including entering drag racing and getting hitched. He married NHRA star Leah Pruett in 2021, and in 2024, the couple had their first baby, Dominic Stewart. Both Pruett and her 15-month-old son will attend the Truck event at Daytona to witness Stewart. However, Pruett had her fair share of shock when she heard the news.

“I said, ‘Hey, I just talked to Tim, and Tim asked me if I’d be interested in running a truck race.’ And her eyes got really this big. She kind of knows the history of my relationship with NASCAR. But, she goes, ‘What’d you tell him?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I think I would be interested.’ And she looked at me like I had three heads. So it took a little bit of convincing to convince her,” said Tony Stewart in the interview.

Nevertheless, Leah Pruett is prepared to let her husband step back from drag racing and tap into his history a little bit. Let’s wait for ‘Smoke’ to unfold his colors in Daytona!