Tony Stewart has added another racing discipline to his already impressive resume. He’s now an NHRA driver, piloting a Top Fuel Dragster. And to say the least, Stewart is having a ball.

Sure, it’s an 11,000-horsepower car in Drag Race, but for Stewart, it’s more than that. And according to Smoke, it’s something that’s missing in most forms of motorsports, be it NASCAR, IndyCar, or Sprint Car. He realised this difference recently, after his nasty crash at Maple Grove Raceway.

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Well, piloting an 11,000 HP dragster was unlike anything Stewart had previously driven. However, he was quick at getting the hang of it. 2024 was his debut season, and he ended up as Rookie of the Year.

Stewart loves NHRA even more so after his recent crash at Maple Grove. He was up against Doug Kalitta in round two of the event. Kalitta, a seasoned veteran, took the race win, but in doing so, his car lost its front left wheel, causing it to get into Stewart’s lane and crash into his car.

It was scary as Smoke got sideways and into the outside wall, having no memory of what had just unfolded. While he was getting back to his senses, he heard Kalitta’s voice asking if he was okay. Tony had his arm around Kalitta’s shoulder, doing the same. What occurred moments ago was forgotten.

This kind of camaraderie is rare in racing, mainly because of how competitive things get, and since drivers are always on an adrenaline high.

Speaking to NASCAR veteran Kevin Harvick on the “Happy Hour” Podcast, Stewart said, “I think the great thing that I have learned and enjoy about drag racing is that we don’t have that driver rivalry like what we had in NASCAR and IndyCar and sprint cars and other forms of motorsports because you’re literally running in your lane.”

“So, when something like that happens, somebody has a problem. Something happened. But the second words out of my mouth when they got to me were, ‘Is Doug okay?’ And Doug, all he cared about was, ‘Was I okay?’”

While it would be unfair to say this kind of camaraderie is not in NASCAR, it is rare. At Richmond, 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace had a loose tire leaving his pit box, but he got it tightened up ahead at the Joe Gibbs Racing pit box of Chase Briscoe. Generally, especially in terms of wrecks, things tend to get heated.

But thanks to the format of a drag race, this is not the case here. Both drivers have dedicated lanes, and it boils down to the fastest driver winning the race. So when something like Maple Grove happens, it’s usually no one’s fault, and it’s understandable.

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“I think that’s a statement to the camaraderie we have in NHRA. We’ve had it in other forms of motorsports, but this is after a run where we both lost. Cars that we’re trying to race in a six-race countdown to try to win a championship. So, that was a big drama for both of us,” Stewart added.

This year, Stewart could be named the champion. Until the Maple Grove incident, he was leading the points ranking before dropping to P2. Kalitta now leads by 19 points over Stewart. However, despite the season being at a crucial stage, things did not get heated between the two.