Listen to this article
Stewart, 51, will run a Top Alcohol dragster for McPhillips Racing. Mobil 1 will serve as the primary sponsor on the car.
He made his NHRA debut last year in the Nevada Nationals, advancing all the way into the finals and missing out on the win by just 0.0002s.
“I am super excited about the season,” Stewart said. “It’s been a long winter and I think what’s made it feel even longer is the fact that we’ve been working on putting this package together with the McPhillips family to expand on what we did at Las Vegas last year and get back in the seat. I want to keep learning about the sport and have the opportunity to go compete more this year with a team I really enjoy. To be able to go to Vegas last year with the McPhillips family was really special.
“Pops (Rich McPhillips) and Richie (McPhillips Jr.) are an unbelievable family to drive for. Everyone on the crew is a fun group of guys to race with. It’s nerve-wracking to try and do something different, but when you have a team like what the McPhillips Racing team has, it makes everything a lot easier.”
Stewart’s own race team fields a Top Fuel dragster for his wife Leah Pruett and Funny Car driver Matt Hagan. He also runs a Sprint Car team and is the co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing in NASCAR. His success as a team owner is only surpassed by his success behind the wheel.
Along with being a three-time champion of the NASCAR Cup Series, Stewart has won titles in IndyCar, USAC, IROC, and now his own SRX Series. There’s no understating his talents, and it would take too long to list all of his achievements.
“It’s hard to sit there and know what expectations we should have for the year,” Stewart added. “I think as long as I keep learning more and more as I go by trying to be more consistent with driving the car, keep it in the groove, trying to stay consistent on reaction times and improve reaction times, those are all goals for me. I want to keep learning and get better every weekend and every race we go to.”
The 2023 season kicks off with the Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway from March 1st – 5th.