Tony Stewart has long had an affinity for Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Now, Stewart will be enticed to make his NASCAR driving return thanks to the iconic speedway.
This July, the NASCAR Xfinity Series will compete for the first time ever on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, and Stewart-Haas Racing announced on Wednesday that Stewart will compete.
“Everyone knows what Indy means to me, so I can’t think of a better place to race on Fourth of July weekend,” said Stewart, in a team release. “It’s going to be cool making history by turning left and right in a stock car at the Brickyard, and the racing will be full of action and contact. Any time you can drive any racecar at the speedway is special, and you know I’m going for the win. The date is already circled on my calendar.”
Stewart, who hails from Rushville, Indiana, has recorded two Brickyard 400 wins over the course of his illustrious NASCAR career. Before moving to NASCAR competition, Stewart’s ultimate goal was capturing an Indianapolis 500 victory. It’s a goal that Stewart, ultimately, didn’t achieve, but he kept attempting even after moving to NASCAR.
The 48-year old NASCAR Hall of Famer has stayed active since retiring from full-time NASCAR competition, as he has collected numerous dirt track sprint car race wins. Stewart also took part in a demonstration run of a Stewart-Haas Racing NASCAR Cup Series car at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas last November.
But this will be his first return to a NASCAR stock car in a competitive race.
The Stewart-Haas Racing team press release states that Stewart’s car number, primary sponsor and crew will be announced at a later date.
