It was all set to be the grand return of NASCAR’s favorite troublemaker, Tony Stewart. The man who once threw helmets, exchanged punches, and raced as his gas pedal owed him money, was gearing up for a glorious comeback. The venue? Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The event? The 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series. The timing? Well… let’s just say fate had other plans.
The engines were warming up, the anticipation was through the roof, and Stewart was probably somewhere smirking at the thought of rattling some rookies. But then, out of nowhere, a microscopic villain stepped onto the track, a virus so relentless that even Stewart’s legendary aggression couldn’t intimidate it.
The road back was paved with good intentions and roadblocks
Since stepping away from full-time NASCAR racing in 2016, Stewart has shifted his focus to team ownership, dirt track racing, and expanding his motorsports empire. But the desire to get back behind the wheel of a stock car never truly left him. In early 2020, Stewart’s plan to return for the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on the Fourth of July weekend was well in motion.
Fans were ecstatic at the prospect of Smoke making a one-off return to a track where he had so much history. Even his longtime rivals and fellow drivers were looking forward to seeing what Stewart could still do. But just as everything seemed set, the world came to a screeching halt. The outbreak of COVID-19 forced widespread cancellations across the sports world, with NASCAR scrambling to adjust its calendar.
Stewart’s highly anticipated race was caught in the crossfire of the pandemic’s effects. NASCAR had to shift its schedule significantly, implementing restrictions such as limited attendance, revised race formats, and travel limitations. For Stewart, this meant that his plans to return in a grand fashion were suddenly put on hold. The disappointment was palpable not just for him but for an entire fanbase eager to witness a nostalgic return.
March 4, 2020: Tony Stewart announced he would return to NASCAR competition and run the Xfinity race at the Indianapolis Road Course
The plans were canceled due to COVIDpic.twitter.com/8Hl6W0TlxF
— nascarman (@nascarman_rr) March 4, 2025
March 4, 2020, was supposed to be a day of celebration for Stewart fans, as he officially announced his return to NASCAR competition in the Xfinity race at the Indianapolis Road Course. As NASCAR critic page nascarman summed it up on X, “March 4, 2020: Tony Stewart announced he would return to NASCAR competition and run the Xfinity race at the Indianapolis Road Course. The plans were canceled due to COVID.” A fittingly short and painful way to describe the saga, almost like getting a race-winning car disqualified in a post-race inspection. One moment, Stewart was set to make history; the next, it was all gone, thanks to a microscopic opponent no one saw coming.
Stewart didn’t shy away from expressing his disappointment over the turn of events. “It was frustrating, no doubt,” Stewart admitted, as quoted by Autoweek. “But hey, if I can survive a 500-mile race with Kevin Harvick as my teammate, I can survive a pandemic-induced delay.” His humor and sarcasm were evident, but beneath it lay the genuine frustration of a racer who was eager to get back on track. This wasn’t just another race; it was a symbolic return to a sport that had defined much of his life. Having been inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2020, Stewart was already cemented as one of the sport’s greats, but this comeback would have been about rekindling the fire, proving to himself and the fans that he could still compete.
The NASCAR community shared in Stewart’s disappointment. Dale Earnhardt Jr., who himself had returned for select Xfinity races after retiring from full-time competition, understood the allure of one-off comebacks. “I know how much Tony loves racing,” Earnhardt Jr. said in an NBC Sports interview. “For him to come back at Indy, in front of those fans, it would’ve been a huge deal. It’s a shame it didn’t happen.”
Fans also voiced their sadness on social media, with many calling for Stewart to find another opportunity to return when conditions allowed. However, as the pandemic continued to wreak havoc on the motorsports world, his Xfinity Series plans never came back to life.
Stewart’s canceled comeback was just one of many disruptions that COVID-19 caused in NASCAR. The entire sport had to undergo drastic changes, from shifting to iRacing events during the lockdown period to enforcing safety protocols once racing resumed. The financial strain on teams, loss of sponsorship revenue, and lack of in-person fan engagement reshaped the sport’s landscape in ways never seen before.
For Stewart-Haas Racing, the organization Stewart co-owns, the pandemic presented its own challenges. With a team to manage and a new world of restrictions to navigate, Stewart had to shift focus from personal racing ambitions to ensuring his team remained competitive during an unprecedented time. “The pandemic changed everything for everyone,” Stewart told Racer Magazine in a later interview. “Our priority became making sure our drivers and teams had everything they needed to compete under these new conditions.” With Stewart’s attention divided between ownership duties and adjusting to the new motorsports environment, his personal racing plans naturally took the backseat.
While Stewart’s stock car return never materialized, he didn’t exactly fade into the background. True to his competitive nature, he found another high-speed avenue to satisfy his racing instincts: NHRA drag racing.
In late 2021, Stewart announced his entry into the world of NHRA Top Fuel racing, a shift that stunned many fans. Drag racing presented a different kind of challenge that required adapting to straight-line speeds exceeding 300 mph in just a few seconds. “I guess I just wanted something faster,” Stewart joked, as reported by Motorsport.com. “Because NASCAR apparently wasn’t keeping up.”
His move into drag racing wasn’t just a casual experiment. Stewart committed to the discipline, competing at a high level and immersing himself in an entirely different motorsport culture. It was a testament to his undying love for speed and competition, proving that even if one door closes, Stewart will always find another way to keep racing.
Will Stewart ever return to NASCAR?
The question remains: will Tony Stewart ever get back behind the wheel of a NASCAR stock car for a competitive race? While he seems to be fully invested in NHRA at the moment, his past comments suggest that he has not entirely ruled out the possibility.
“There’s always that itch,” Stewart admitted to NASCAR.com. “I’ll never say never, but right now, I’ve got my hands full.”
Given Stewart’s history, a surprise return wouldn’t be entirely out of the question. His NASCAR career has been marked by comebacks, resilience, and a relentless drive to compete. While the 2020 pandemic robbed fans of what could have been a spectacular return, it doesn’t mean that the door is permanently shut.
For now, Stewart continues his motorsports journey in new and unexpected ways. But if history has taught us anything, it’s that Tony Stewart doesn’t stay away from the track for too long. And if he ever does decide to strap back into a stock car, one thing is certain: the fans, the competitors, and the sport itself will be ready.
The pandemic may have delayed his NASCAR comeback, but it didn’t take away his racing spirit. And when the time is right, Stewart might just remind everyone why he was, and always will be, one of NASCAR’s greatest competitors.
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