NASCAR today is not confined to just racing. It features an amalgamation of tasks – after driving stock cars at close to 200 MPH, racers’ jobs are hardly done. Immediately after stepping out of their racecars, they gasp for breath and sweat bullets with awestruck eyes which just witnessed an exhilarating race.

Yet at the same time, they need to be as composed as possible for the swarm of reporters and cameras. Even off the racetrack, an endless stream of interviews, podcast appearances, and commentaries leaves drivers mentally drained even after doing their primary racing job.

This unfortunate reality leaves fans craving for a touch of personality. That is missing in present-day NASCAR, with sponsor-reliant drivers forced to assume neutral and diplomatic tones. This heavily contrasts a distant, yet golden time in NASCAR’s past, when stalwarts like Tony Stewart flourished. So what if we got a rekindling of the past in the near future?

Truck Series Rumor

Ram Trucks are returning to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2026. This is part of a broader effort by parent company Stellantis to field five entries with Kaulig Racing. While Brenden ‘Butterbean’ Queen, Daniel Dye, and Justin Haley have already been announced as drivers, the remaining two seats are hogging the spotlight.

One entry may be used as a seat for the winner or winners of a currently filming reality TV show. And a fifth truck could be used as an “All-Star” truck, and this is where our beloved ‘Smoke’ comes in.

On SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NASCAR Truck Series legend Mike Skinner and his wife, Angie, discussed that Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne, both former legends of the sport, could be viable options for this ride. And if that is the case, a fiery welcome may be in store for Stewart.

The Stewart Factor — Passion, Honesty, and Grit

From the time Tony Stewart entered NASCAR to the moment he left it, he stayed true to his personality. And that was the hard-nosed, no-nonsense kind of demeanour. After winning the IndyCar championship, he ventured into NASCAR, a much more lucrative playing field. And he focused solely on honing his racecraft. ‘Smoke’ went through a relatively quiet 1998 Busch Series season when Matt Kenseth beat him in Rockingham – until he finally scored his first Cup Series win in 1999.

That was the foundation of his crowning NASCAR career, during which he won three championships (2002, 2005, 2011) and 49 Cup Series races. The raw passion is reflected in his weekly trips to dirt tracks in the middle of nowhere. It was not surprising for Stewart to show up unannounced at a small track, even under an alias, just to test his mettle against the local stars. His fiery temperament and a willingness to speak out over perceived injustices further diversified his illustrious career.

Tony Stewart further cemented his legacy with his team ownership tenure. After Gene Haas joined hands with him in 2009, the resulting team, Stewart-Haas Racing, went on to become one of the most prolific Cup Series teams in the sport. It fetched 70 Cup Series trophies and two championships over 16 years.

But while Stewart’s on-track reputation soared, his media reputation was tricky. He was one of the last few drivers who were not afraid to voice their opinions and defy their sponsors. And while doing so, he often slipped into potholes of controversy.

Once, Stewart famously said, “It doesn’t matter who it is. I’ll make sure that when I do it the next time that the guy doesn’t have the opportunity to come back and wreck me. … It is what it is, and there’s 42 guys out there and they know how I race, they know what I expect and I don’t race them that way, I don’t block guys and I’m not going to block guys. But if they block me, they will suffer the consequences.”

But perhaps that’s not even the most ‘controversial’ take he’s had. Because ‘Smoke’ even went on to say once, “I’d wreck my mom to win a championship. I’d wreck your mom to win a championship!” Talk about having no filters, right?

NASCAR’s Changing Identity

As aforementioned, NASCAR now requires drivers to be not only good drivers, but also good orators. The media presence of racers is even rewarded, as seen in the Driver Ambassador Program introduced in 2025. It provides a financial bonus pool to drivers based on their participation in promotional activities and media engagement. If Tony Stewart had been racing at this time, he would have broken the shackles of media obligations easily.

For most of his career, Tony Stewart’s relationship with the media was sketchy at best. In 2001, he kicked a reporter’s recorder on pit road after NASCAR’s annual July race at Daytona International Speedway. This anger cost him a potential victory. The next season, Stewart shoved a photographer at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. For this, NASCAR fined him $25,000 and deducted 25 points.

Clearly, Tony Stewart could play the role of bully well. He frequently dismissed a question he thought was stupid from a media member with a snide remark, such as, “The thing that has amazed me is that most of the questions I’m answering today are all theoretical. Well, I’m not a philosopher.” But this very raw and unfiltered side of him is what fans dearly miss in today’s NASCAR.

The Void He Left Behind

When was the last time we saw an expression of true personalities on the racetrack? Granted, the scuffle between Kyle Busch and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. at the 2024 All-Star Race may stand out. Yet no driver is in the spotlight as Tony Stewart was during his prime, when he chucked his helmet at Matt Kenseth in 2012. He never shied away from revealing his true opinions, no matter how polarizing or uncomfortable they may be. And that is what endeared fans even more.

What’s more important, Tony Stewart had a heart of gold behind his notorious personality. While racing at an Upstate New York dirt track in August 2014, his car’s right-rear wheel clipped Kevin Ward Jr., who soon died from his injuries. Although cleared by the grand jury of any criminal wrongdoing, this incident had a lasting impact on him.

When a tire fatally struck IndyCar driver Justin Wilson in the head, Stewart summoned his plane to bring Wilson’s family to his bedside in an Allentown, Pa., hospital. Then, when Kyle Busch broke his right leg and left foot a day before the 2015 Daytona 500, Stewart stalled his flight just to be with him. The Indiana-native could give good advice, having broken his right leg in a sprint car crash in 2013.

Hence, the hot-headed NASCAR fan relates not only to Tony Stewart’s rowdy side but also his benevolent side. And these twin aspects of his personality are gaping voids in NASCAR today.

Closing Reflection — The Fire That Still Burns

Tony Stewart’s legacy is everlasting in motorsports. Besides winning in NASCAR, he has clinched an IndyCar championship and the USAC ‘Triple Crown’. For the past two seasons, he has been a fiery spectacle in the NHRA, substituting for his wife, Leah Pruett. Across his diverse racing career, Stewart symbolizes the true grit and passion of a legendary racer.

Hopefully, we will get to see this icon again on the racetracks of NASCAR. Here’s to celebrating Tony Stewart and his evergreen contribution to the racing world!