In the opening NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Daytona International Speedway on Friday, Tony Stewart’s much-awaited return to NASCAR was abruptly halted by a crash on Lap 36. Stewart, driving the No. 25 Kaulig Racing Ram, was involved in a collision triggered when Jake Garcia’s No. 98 Ford lost control exiting Turn 4, forcing Stewart’s truck into the wall and ending his night prematurely.
At 54 years old, Stewart had not raced in NASCAR since November 2016, when he last competed in the Cup Series finale, and his last Truck Series start was in June 2005 at Dover Motor Speedway. Despite struggling early to find the proper balance in his truck, Stewart showed signs of settling into the race before the wreck occurred.
Adjusting to the Competition and Truck Handling
Stewart struggled with handling issues during the race’s opening laps. On Lap 2, his truck felt dangerously loose, nearly spinning out. Initial adjustments to air pressure and track bar during the first pit stop failed to improve the situation, but a wedge adjustment on the second stop helped him gain better control and confidence in handling.
“It was fun to come back here,”
Stewart commented after medical evaluation and release from the infield care center.
“It’s fun to watch the style these kids run. I mean, you could tell the guys that their trucks felt good right out of the gate, and they were aggressive. And it’s like, man, I wish I had the confidence to do that. But it was getting more fun when the balance was getting closer to where we needed it to be.”
Despite gradually improving, Stewart admitted uncertainty about the cause of the crash.
“The hard thing is I’m not really sure what happened that got us there, but we just ended up on the wrong end of that stick.”
Kaulig Racing and Ram’s NASCAR Return Experience
Stewart’s return coincided with Ram’s reentry into NASCAR, partnering with Kaulig Racing to field a five-truck team. Stewart expressed admiration for the team’s rapid development and resourcefulness in preparing for Daytona, especially given Kaulig Racing’s lack of previous experience in the Truck Series.
“I thought the effort that Kaulig Racing made coming down here was unbelievable,”
Stewart said.
“I mean, I remember when we did the first seat fit, they didn’t even have body panels to put on the truck, and they were 3D printing body panels so they could go to the tunnel just to get a baseline of where they needed to be. So to see where they went in such a short amount of time and get five competitive trucks down here… We weren’t out to lunch by any means. But when they’ve never had a truck in the Truck Series, you’re going to go through a night like tonight where you’re going to have to make some big swings to get the balance.”
Race Progress and Observations from Stewart
Stewart noted the adjustments helped him regain some grip and compete more confidently in the pack.
“We probably needed that much of an adjustment again,”
he said.
“At least that time, with that, I could kind of tug on the wheel a little more and feel like I had more control on my truck and felt like I could get up in the mix without feeling too worried about it. I knew we needed to make another adjustment, so I wasn’t trying to get carried away and get crazy. But felt comfortable being three-wide on the top there. Didn’t feel like we were putting ourselves in jeopardy.”
Enjoying the Competition and Teammate Performance
Throughout the race, Stewart’s enthusiasm grew while observing the aggressive style of younger drivers. He especially praised teammate Justin Haley’s ability to navigate the field with confidence, learning the limits of his truck and making calculated moves. Haley was running third when NASCAR Overtime began but got caught in a spin on the final lap, dropping to 22nd place.
“It’s always fun when you can actually do what you want to do as a driver behind the wheel,”
Stewart reflected post-race.
“And you know, we definitely were gaining. I mean, you think about it, Kaulig doesn’t have any notes for a truck here. Justin does a really good job of — I would watch him and watch him make some moves, and then he would kind of cycle himself back, and he’s just trying to see what he could get away with. I never even got to the part where I felt like I could hustle it that hard.”
Mid-race, Stewart radioed an upbeat message,
“This is way more fun than what we did [Thursday], I will admit that.”
Future Prospects for Stewart’s NASCAR Participation
Even though Stewart’s NASCAR comeback ended abruptly, there is interest in future appearances. After the race, Stewart’s crew chief, Alex Yontz, suggested a possible return.
“Hopefully you might wanna do this again sometime,”
Yontz said over the radio.
“Yeah, I’d say there’s a pretty good shot of that,”
Stewart replied, leaving the door open for additional NASCAR involvement.
However, Stewart remains focused on his NHRA drag racing career, where he will defend titles and compete in Top Fuel dragsters. Reflecting on his “one-off” NASCAR entry, he said,
“I mean, I signed up for a one-off. That’s where we’re at so far.”
Upcoming NASCAR Truck Series Races
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series continues its 2024 schedule with its next event at EchoPark Speedway on Saturday, February 21, airing on FS1, NRN Radio, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
