NASCAR: Tony Stewart hints at future return
By Asher Fair
Tony Stewart was slated to compete in this Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. While that won’t happen, he hasn’t ruled out a return.
Three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart had the opportunity to drive a stock car for the first time in a few years at Circuit of the Americas last October, and he admitted then that he may like to get back behind the wheel in an actual race.
A few months later, Stewart confirmed that he would be competing in the inaugural Xfinity Series race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course on Saturday, July 4. He was set to drive a Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing, the team he co-owns, alongside full-time driver Chase Briscoe.
Unlike several races on the schedule, this race around the 13-turn, 2.439-mile (3.925-kilometer) road course in Speedway, Indiana was not postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, last month, Stewart announced that he would not be competing in it.
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One of the key factors behind this decision was the fact that fans will not be allowed in attendance for this race, or at all during the entire race weekend, which is set to feature the first ever NASCAR and IndyCar doubleheader.
The IndyCar race is set to take place on the road course on Saturday afternoon before the Xfinity Series race while the Cup Series race is set to take place on the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) oval on Sunday afternoon. As track owner and IndyCar owner Roger Penske prepares to safely welcome fans to the track for the 104th running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, August 23, he simply couldn’t take the risk of having things go wrong this weekend.
With no fans there to cheer on the Columbus, Indiana native, Stewart will focus on Briscoe’s entry for this race and on his team’s four-car Cup Series effort the following afternoon.
But he has not ruled out returning to the track behind the wheel of a stock car at some point in the future.
Thought I'd be doing this again @IMS on Saturday, but COVID and logistics got in the way. Maybe another time... pic.twitter.com/06iVsAGJMr
— Tony Stewart (@TonyStewart) July 2, 2020
The 49-year-old has not competed in a NASCAR race since he competed in the 2016 Cup Series season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway prior to his retirement, and he has not competed in an Xfinity Series race since the 2013 season opener at Daytona International Speedway.
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The GMR Grand Prix IndyCar race is set to be broadcast live on NBC this Saturday beginning at 12:00 p.m. ET. The Pennzoil 150 at the Brickyard Xfinity Series race is set to follow on NBC at 3:00 p.m. ET, and the Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 Cup Series race is set to be broadcast live on NBC on Sunday beginning at 4:00 p.m. ET.