The last time Tony Stewart ran a Cup Series race was in 2016, his last season in NASCAR as a driver. Several veterans, after hanging up the helmet, often still come for one-off appearances, but that hasn’t been the case for Stewart. It’s almost been a decade now, and Smoke’s been a no-show in each one of them.
Many in the NASCAR community thought he’d come to try his hand at the legendary Daytona 500. One crown jewel that he couldn’t bag in his time in the Cup Series. Stewart made 35 starts on the Daytona International Speedway, even won on four occasions, but never the “Great American race.”
It is surprising, given Stewart’s reputation for versatility. He’s won it all, be it IndyCar, NASCAR, Sprint Car, and now even NHRA, but the Harley J. Earl trophy has always eluded him, but he has made peace with it.
Tony Stewart Does Not Want To Win the Daytona 500 Anymore
If you recall, his last attempt at the iconic race was supposed to be in 2016; however, thanks to a back injury, he could not make it. Before that, he tried 17 times but always fell short. The race gods never seemed to be with him in the Daytona 500.
The only time he came close to winning it was back in 2004, when he eventually ended the race in P2. Stewart had led 98 laps in that race but was bested by Dale Earnhardt Jr. A few years back, he was questioned if he’d ever take another shot at it, to which the NASCAR veteran had a very clear answer.
Stewart said, “For me, that ship has sailed…I can tell you this—I have zero interest in going and run on a Daytona 500. I respect the history of that event. I respect the sport.” It’s no secret that the Daytona 500 is a tough one to crack. The track is unpredictable and wreck-filled. That’s probably why it took even Dale Earnhardt Sr. 20 tries to win it once.
Or how some of the best active drivers haven’t won it yet, be it Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, the list is long. And the small probability of getting a checkered flag in that race is why Stewart isn’t interested in it.
“Joey Logano said it best—you got a 30% chance of finishing that race. I’m not going for the 30% chance. If I go, it’s because I want to feel like I’ve got a shot to win the race and not a 70,” Stewart added.
Well, even though “Smoke” is reluctant, his coming to the Daytona 500 would be epic. And who knows, maybe the 18th time’s the charm in his case.