Tony Stewart focused on SRX Series in 2022 — but not retired

By Bob Pockrass
FOX Sports NASCAR Writer

When it comes to driving, Tony Stewart’s post-NASCAR racing career has focused primarily on a return to his first love: sprint-car racing.

But 2022 hasn’t seen Stewart hopping from dirt track to dirt track getting into his sprint car. As far as racing, Stewart has competed in his Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) Series but not much else.

It’s not that the 51-year-old doesn’t want to race. But with the launch of a two-car drag-racing operation this year, Stewart has opted to focus more on his newest venture as a car owner.

Also, he has popped in to NASCAR races (including three events in the FOX Sports booth) to see how those teams are doing.

Tony Stewart talks launch of drag-racing team

Tony Stewart has cut back his sprint-car racing in order to devote more time to the launch of his drag-racing team. But he says he is not retired.

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The NASCAR Hall of Famer, who won three Cup titles, stressed last week that he is not retired from racing.

“This has been a huge transition year,” Stewart said. “I’m not retired by any means. I don’t want to come across as retired. I’m not retired.

“I had to step aside from running my sprint car this year because of our NHRA programs that we’re doing.”

The SRX Series that Stewart developed puts former and current drivers from various disciplines in equally prepared cars as part of a six-week summer trek to some of the most notable short tracks in the country.

While Stewart was trying to launch the series last year, he was also racing his sprint car. He owns a sprint-car team and was racing several times per week.

Tony Stewart remembers his win in the 2009 All-Star Race

Tony Stewart rewatches his win in the 2009 NASCAR All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

This year, he has not been behind the wheel much except in SRX.

“Having these six weeks and the competition level that we’re racing with, this is something [I’ve relished],” Stewart said. “Last year, the [SRX] season kind of snuck up on me because I was running my sprint car … was very, very busy going into the SRX season.

“Where this year, literally a month, month-and-a-half out, I was counting days until we started.” 

For a look back on Tony Stewart’s career, here’s “You Kids Don’t Know: Tony Stewart.”

Bob Pockrass has spent decades covering motorsports, including the past 30 Daytona 500s. He joined FOX Sports in 2019 following stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @bobpockrass. Looking for more NASCAR content? Sign up for the FOX Sports NASCAR Newsletter with Bob Pockrass!

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Tony Stewart

Tony Stewart