Tony Stewart to make surprise NASCAR return with first Truck start in 20 years

Three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart is back, at least for one race at the national level of NASCAR.

Stewart, who is now 54 years old but still actively racing, will pilot the 'free agent' truck for Kaulig Racing and Ram in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season-opener at Daytona International Speedway. 'Smoke' hasn't started a NASCAR race since retiring from the Cup Series at the end of the 2016 season, and he hasn't run a Truck Series event since 2005.

Stewart is also the winningest driver not named Earnhardt at Daytona with 19 victories across the Cup Series, O'Reilly Auto Parts Series and IROC.

“I’ve raced just about everything with four wheels at Daytona, but never a truck. So when a seat in the new Ram was offered up for their first race back in NASCAR, I didn’t hesitate,” said Stewart. Ram’s Free Agent program is another great way for me to stay sharp and have a little fun."

Kaulig's free agent program will bring in different names every weekend to pilot its No. 25 entry.

“We’re not just returning to the track; we’re rewriting the playbook. Bringing Tony in as the first Free Agent will generate a crazy amount of excitement, which is exactly why we created the program—allowing fans to watch an all-time favorite driver get back into the seat, but this time, it’s a Ram truck,” said Tim Kuniskis, Head of American Brands, SRT Performance, NA Marketing and Retail Strategy at Stellantis. “This is about honoring a legacy. Tony represents grit, determination, and the spirit of racing—pure adrenaline for the fans.”

In addition to 49 wins and three NASCAR Cup titles, the versatile Stewart is a former IndyCar champion, the only driver to win all three USAC National championships (Midget, Sprint, Silver Crown) in the same year, and currently competed in the NHRA.

"Having Tony Stewart in one of our Ram trucks is the kind of thing you dream about,” said Matt Kaulig, Founder and Owner of Kaulig Racing. “He’s a legend—his name alone brings energy to the sport. We couldn’t be more fired up to have him in our camp as we roll into Daytona for our first race. This is going to be a ride worth watching."

This will mark Stewart's seventh appearance in the Truck Series, where he has two victories. However, this will be his first time racing a Truck at the iconic superspeedway. While never a winner of the Daytona 500, Smoke has four wins in summer Cup race, three Duel wins, three Clash wins, seven O'Reilly wins, and two IROC wins there.