Speed has always been a hot topic in NASCAR. Fans crave the thrill of high horsepower, blistering lap times, and the rush of raw speed. But in recent years, speed has become a topic of heated debate. The Next-Gen cars now run with just 670 horsepower at most tracks, a step down from previous generations. The result? It’s a race that feels tamer compared to NASCAR’s golden era.
Many drivers have voiced their concerns. Former Xfinity Series driver Parker Kligerman summed it up perfectly in a viral post. He shared an old newspaper poll from 2000 in which fans were asked if they would continue watching NASCAR if restrictor plates were used at every track. A staggering 86% voted against it, with nearly half saying they would stop watching altogether. Kligerman’s caption was simple: “They don’t call it driver-sports or chassis-sports. It’s MOTORsports. People want power.”
While NASCAR struggles to recapture its former speed, another motorsport is making noise—literally. NHRA drivers, who routinely hit over 330 mph in mere seconds, have taken a stand against FOX Sports’ latest ad campaign. The network’s decision to call IndyCar the “fastest motorsport on the planet” didn’t sit well with drag racers. And now, the latest entry into the battle is none other than Tony Stewart. The NASCAR legend turned NHRA driver has voiced about the ‘fake’ advertisement of Roger Penske’s racing series.
Tony Stewart takes a sly dig at FOX!
The speed controversy began when FOX Sports signed a multi-year broadcasting deal with IndyCar. To promote the partnership, they released an ad campaign calling IndyCar ‘the fastest motorsport on the planet.’ That didn’t sit well with NHRA Funny Car driver Bob Tasca III, who immediately fired back at Fox, calling the claim “an insult” to drag racers and their fans. Tasca didn’t hold back.
After a race at the NHRA Gator Nationals, he turned his post-run interview into an attack on Fox, saying, “I should be talking about my run, but I gotta call out Fox Sports. We heard all winter long that IndyCar is the fastest motorsport on the planet. Come on now! I didn’t think Fox was a fake news network!” Now, Tasca’s NHRA rival Tony Stewart has spoken about the issue. In a candid media conversation, he argued that FOX is doing some false advertising.
“I think I love Fox, but they’re doing some false advertising. They keep saying that IndyCar’s got the fastest cars. I don’t know what the hell they’re watching. They’re missing the mark by 100 miles an hour. And I think for us, we kind of got our feelings hurt a little bit because there was such a big push for it,” Stewart told the media. Notably, Stewart’s comments hold weight when looking at the numbers.
Well, since @TonyStewart has driven both @IndyCar and @NHRA, hear what he has to say about the great speed debate At the end of the day, we love both. #TSRnitro | #NHRA | #IndyCar | #NHRASpeedCheck | #Dodge pic.twitter.com/Om5C9Zplg3
— Tony Stewart Racing Nitro (@TSRnitro) March 14, 2025
In 2024, Bob Tasca III hit an unofficial 341.68 mph, while the official NHRA Funny Car record stands at 339.87 mph. Compare that to IndyCar, where the fastest lap ever recorded was 237.498 mph by Arie Luyendyk in 1996. That’s over a 100-mph gap. Even in NASCAR, where speeds have dropped significantly, the all-time fastest lap was Bill Elliott’s 212.808 mph at Talladega in 1987. Today’s stock cars don’t come close to those numbers which has already NASCAR fans frustrated.
Amidst the debate, Stewart also backed FOX Sports, calling them a big help for NHRA. “So, they’ve done a great job taking care of the NHRA side. Now that the season’s started, they’ll continue to push for us as well. And they’re great partners. I mean, I talked to a lot of the Fox people because I did the broadcast stuff, and, you know, they do care about NHRA. So, it’s not like we got pushed to the side for IndyCar by any means. They definitely care about the sport,” he added.
Notably, FOX Sports has established significant partnerships with major motorsport series. After serving as NASCAR’s one of premier partners the broadcasting company roped in NHRA in 2016. Since then, the sport has been an integral part of the network with more than 450 hours of NHRA programming annually. However, in 2025, FOX joined hands with Roger Penske’s IndyCar.
Their partnership has worked well as the inaugural race on the network at St. Petersburg attracted 1.417 million viewers making it most most-watched race since the 2011 Indy 500. This is also a staggering 45% increase since last year’s event. These data reveal that their latest advertisement has worked well. The deal also helps FOX to diversify their portfolio given NASCAR divided their races with new partners.
Notably, this is not the first time when Tony Stewart has vocally supported NHRA racing. Last year in an interview, Stewart revealed that NHRA thrives on raw power while NASCAR continues to monitor every single thing. This freedom is part of what drew Stewart to drag racing. It’s a sport where power matters more than regulations, and he’s enjoying the change of pace.
However, he is also enjoying his fatherhood, which has significantly affected his life and career. While his wife, Leah Pruett, stepped away from NHRA to take care of their son, Stewart led the team and won the Rookie of the Year award in 2024. Despite being an accomplished driver, Stewart has been respectful of his wife.
Stewart reflects on his wife’s comeback plans!
While Tony Stewart continues to make headlines for his on and off-track antics, he recently acknowledged the sacrifice of his wife, Leah Pruett. Since stepping away from NASCAR, he has been fully focused on his NHRA career and his family-owned drag racing team. But now, he has publicly announced that the drag racing world belongs to Pruett more than him. Notably, in November 2024, the couple welcomed their first child, Dominic.
Since then, Pruett has been looking after the home, and Stewart is taking care of the family-owned racing team. However, fans have been wondering—when will Pruett return? Recently, Stewart made it clear that whenever she will return, he will step aside. “Make this 1000% clear, so there’s no mistake and I don’t get my butt carved up on social media: That race car is her race car. When she’s ready to get back in, I will immediately get back out,” he said.
Notably, Leah Pruett is as decorated in dragsters as Stewart was in the stock car at NASCAR. She has won 18 races in NHRA including, 12 in top fuel, 3 in Pro Modified, and 3 in the Factory Stock. In 2018, she became the first-ever female champion in the NHRA Factory Stock series. She also has a career-best time of 3.631 seconds and a top speed of 334.15 mph to her name. Although there’s no fixed timeline on Pruett’s returns, Smoke fans would want to see him bag his first NHRA Top Fuel win in 2025.
The post Tony Stewart Joins “Fake News Network” Accusation Row Over FOX as He Rips Into Roger Penske’s False Advertising Campaign appeared first on EssentiallySports.