Now, this is a proper surprise. According to Motorsport.com, NASCAR Hall of Famer and three-time Cup Series champion Tony Stewart is heading back to the track to pilot the No. 25 Ram 1500 at Talladega Superspeedway next month.
Stewart, 55, previously made a surprise NASCAR return in the season-opener at Daytona. Unfortunately, that outing ended in a DNF after he got wrecked out of the event.
Bringing Tony back behind the wheel of the Ram 1500 at Talladega brings incredible energy to our entire team and NASCAR fans everywhere,
Speaking in a release from the team, Stewart explained his motivation for the upcoming run at the Alabama superspeedway. “Anytime you can get into a Ram truck and go racing at a place like Talladega, you jump at it,” he said. “Daytona in February was a blast, but this trip focuses on having fun while helping Kaulig Racing learn and build their notebook on superspeedways. Ram put a tremendous amount of heart into this NASCAR return. If my experience helps this team sharpen its drafting package and speed up the learning curve, everyone wins.”
Beyond his three Cup titles and 49 wins in the top level of NASCAR, the veteran driver brings a stacked resume featuring 11 NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series victories and two wins in the NASCAR Truck Series, both earned at Daytona. The upcoming race will mark just his eighth career start at the third level of NASCAR and his very first at Talladega.
Tim Kuniskis of Stellantis shared high hopes for the outing. “Bringing Tony back behind the wheel of the Ram 1500 at Talladega brings incredible energy to our entire team and NASCAR fans everywhere,” Kuniskis stated, noting that the effort forms part of their Free Agent program designed to gather real-world feedback from proven competitors.
Fans looking to catch the action live can tune into Fox Sports on Friday, October 23, at 4 p.m. EDT.
