Kyle Petty credits Tony Stewart for helping build NASCAR fanbase
In his NASCAR career, Tony Stewart has basically been there and done that. Kyle Petty gives him a ton of credit. Not just for what he did on the track. Petty wants folks to know how much Smoke has done for the sport, by just being the Jack-Of-All-Trades that he has always been.
When Tony Stewart came to NASCAR after winning an IndyCar championship, it was a big deal. He had a fanbase in that sport and they followed him to NASCAR. Not just IndyCar, he brought fans from dirt, open wheel and sprint cars and so much more.
Not to mention, he won over NASCAR fans that had been there from day one. Kyle Petty knows the impact and following that Smoke has.
“Here’s a guy who came and brought that open wheel fan base, who brought that dirt track fan base, that midget and sprint car [fan base] to the sport,” Petty said, via PRN. “There are so many places Tony has taken the NASCAR fan…he’s taking them now to drag racing.”
Of course, if you didn’t know, Tony Stewart has been racing in the NHRA as a Top Alcohol Dragster. Kyle Petty knows how much the Smoke brand and image are worth and why it has been so important for NASCAR to have Stewart on board.
As he continues his drag racing career, Stewart is likely to make new fans and bring his old ones over to the NHRA.
Tony Stewart’s team looks strong in past two weeks
Going back to Atlanta, the Stewart-Haas Racing team seems to have made a turn. At least for a little bit. Things have not gone well for the Ford organization. With Kevin Harvick on the way out, Josh Berry coming in, and potentially another free-agent addition after the season – SHR has its hands full.
Tony Stewart might not be as involved as some would like. But he can’t make these Ford Mustangs go any faster with his presence. The last two weeks though, Aric Almirola has really turned things around. He won the pole in Atlanta and will start P3 in New Hampshire today.
Almirola is the one driver that might call it quits after this season. If he is able to take a win to close out the 2023 regular season and get to the playoffs, that might make him sign up for his 2024 deal. If not, SHR and Tony Stewart would be looking for another driver to take the wheel of the No. 10.
So, Smoke has a lot on his plate. He has always had a lot on his plate. Let’s not forget his track, Eldora Speedway, just had one of the biggest sprint car weekends in history with the Eldora Million and Kings Royal. Lots of great stuff from Stewart lately, including in the SRX Series.