Tony Stewart’s August Pro Stock session has created more speculation than substance. After a two-day test with Elite Performance, the three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion found himself at the center of talk that he might abandon racing nitro for doorslammer competition.
The buzz gained momentum when team owner Richard Freeman extended Stewart a standing offer to join his multi-car Pro Stock operation. With Stewart’s wife, Leah Pruett, planning a 2026 return to Top Fuel, the timing of the test fueled talk that Stewart would slide into a full-time Pro Stock role.
But Stewart wants the brakes applied to that storyline.
“Man, everybody’s melted into some … you do one test with a guy and everybody jumps the gun and jumps the string and wants to be the first to hit send on a story that may or may not happen,” Stewart said. “So I enjoyed my test with Richard. Richard has been wearing me out for over a year to just come do a test with the Pro Stock car. It just happened, timing wise, to work out where it happened, I don’t know, a month and a half ago or whatever it was that we got the opportunity to do it. I still like Nitro. So I enjoyed doing the test, it was awesome to work with Erica and Aaron Stanfield, and all the elite guys. I really enjoyed that test, so trust me, that’s an option that wouldn’t break my heart if that’s where I end up.”
Stewart admitted that while Pro Stock impressed him, he isn’t ready to abandon racing nitro. His progression in the dragster ranks is only beginning, and he believes he has more to accomplish with Tony Stewart Racing before considering any switch.
“But I do like driving the Nitro cars,” Stewart said. “I mean I’m in year two of it, and starting to feel like I’m just starting to get really comfortable driving them, and starting to try to work with Leah and work with Matt and trying to find ways to split hairs to make everything better. And so I hate to just jump away from that all together. So I don’t know, we’ve got irons in the fire in a lot of different places right now. It’s way too much to talk about today, but trust me, we’re doing everything we can to make sure that I have something to drive at NHRA next year.”
The veteran racer’s comments show that his future in NHRA is far from decided. While Freeman’s offer remains attractive, Stewart emphasized that racing nitro continues to hold his focus. He has no interest in returning to the sidelines when the opportunity to compete in the nitro ranks remains available.
Stewart’s cautious response highlights the fine line between testing curiosity and full-time commitment. Drivers in other disciplines have made the transition, but Stewart says drag racing isn’t an easy adjustment, regardless of NASCAR pedigree.
The idea of a stock car veteran shifting to Pro Stock isn’t new. Kurt Busch, Clint Bowyer, Kenny Wallace, and Bill Elliott have all taken turns in the class. Busch, in particular, showed immediate promise, drawing comparisons when Stewart’s test became public.
Yet Stewart insists that any similarities are surface-level at best.
“No, nothing in drag racing feels natural to oval track guys,” Stewart said. “I mean, anybody you ask that’s done it and tried it, will tell you that drag racing is over on its own separate island from everything else we’ve ever done in our entire career. So yeah, it’s got doors, yeah, you got to shift gears. That is the only thing that correlates between Pro Stock and everything else we’ve ever done.”
His point underscores how difficult it is to bridge the gap. NASCAR and sprint car racing may share certain mechanics, but drag racing is an entirely different discipline.
Stewart illustrated the difference by comparing his years of racing to what he encountered in a Pro Stock cockpit. He described the process with both humor and honesty.
“I’m telling you, the list that Erica Enders gave me of what it took to do one run was four pages long. Every step, very detailed steps to make sure that you do it and do it right,” Stewart said.
“So I’ve never had … I can write on the palm of my hand in a sharpie what it takes to start and drive a sprint car. Now, not what it takes to drive one well, but just to fire the car up and physically drive the car, you can write it on your hand. So I guess the moral of the story is, they’re just drastically different. I mean, drag racing is drag racing, every other form of motorsports you can somewhat group in a giant bubble together because there’s a lot of things that correlate. But when it comes to drag racing, drag racing is its own discipline, and takes its own different unique skill sets to be really good at it.”
For now, Stewart says he’ll continue to evaluate his options but stresses his Nitro program is not finished. His growth in dragsters remains his priority, even as Freeman keeps a door open in Pro Stock. He is not abandoning one class for the other, only reminding fans that he won’t step back from racing when there are still opportunities to compete at the highest level.
The speculation will likely persist as long as Stewart remains versatile and marketable across multiple motorsports disciplines. Fans and media may keep connecting dots, but Stewart insists the path isn’t charted yet.
As Stewart put it best: “I still like Nitro.”
