Retired three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion driver and ex-team owner Tony Stewart is making a comeback to the sport. Well, at least for a day.
Stewart, who hasn’t entered a major series NASCAR race in nearly a decade, is set to compete on the opening weekend of the 2026 NASCAR season at Daytona International Speedway.
So, what will the 54-year-old be driving, and in which NASCAR series will he be doing it? Perhaps more importantly, what prompted Stewart — a 49-time Cup Series race winner turned NHRA star — to stick his toe back in the proverbial NASCAR waters?
Tony Stewart Reveals Plan To Race At Daytona In February
Arguably the best driver to never win the Daytona 500, Tony Stewart has no plans to suit up and take one last crack at The Great American Race. He will, however, take the green flag for the first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event of the year.
Stewart, who competed full time as a driver in the NASCAR Cup Series from 1999-2016, will campaign a Ram truck for Kaulig Racing in the Fresh From Florida 250 at Daytona on Friday night, February 13.
The event, which will mark Ram’s highly anticipated return to NASCAR as a manufacturer, was an opportunity Stewart simply couldn’t pass up. He’ll be one of five drivers entered for Kaulig Racing, which suspended the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts (former Xfinity) Series wing of its organization at the end of last season to partner with Ram in the Truck Series in what marks a new venture for both parties.
Stewart, who will be making just his seventh career start in what’s considered NASCAR’s No. 3 series, is Ram’s “Free Agent” driver at Daytona. Say what? The manufacturer’s new — and somewhat groundbreaking — Free Agent program is designed to bring legendary drivers and rising stars into the spotlight, giving fans a unique mix of experience and fresh talent behind the wheel of Ram trucks.
“I’ve raced just about everything with four wheels at Daytona. But never a truck,” said Stewart, a 19-time winner at the 2.5-mile superspeedway across the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and now-defunct IROC series. “So, when a seat in the new Ram was offered up for their first race back in NASCAR, I didn’t hesitate.
“Ram’s Free Agent program is another great way for me to stay sharp and have a little fun.”
— Tony Stewart (@TonyStewart) January 13, 2026
Key Principals At Ram, Kaulig Racing ‘Fired Up’ To Join Forces With Legendary Driver
Tony Stewart hasn’t been around NASCAR tracks at all since deciding to suspend the operations of Stewart-Haas Racing (the team he raced for from 2009-2016, and also co-owned) at the end of the 2024 season.
So, the fact that the NASCAR Hall of Famer is even going to be at a NASCAR track — much less racing — is a huge deal for the entire sport. And it’s especially huge or the Ram brand and Kaulig Racing.
“Having Tony Stewart in one of our Ram trucks is the kind of thing you dream about,” team owner Matt Kaulig said in a news release. “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.”
The first Truck Series race of 2026 will mark the first time a factory-supported team has carried the Ram badge in a NASCAR race since 2012. To do it with a household name like Stewart just makes it all the more special.
“We’re not just returning to the track; we’re rewriting the playbook,” said Tim Kuniskis, the Head of American Brands for Stellantis, Ram Trucks’ parent company. “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.
“This is about honoring a legacy. Tony represents grit, determination, and the spirit of racing — pure adrenaline for the fans.”
