Tony “Smoke” Stewart is one of those rarest-of-rare racers who can jump in and drive anything at a high level. The racing resume that Stewart has built is basically unheard of in the world of motorsports. Stewart can add another line to his list of accomplishments since he won the 2024 NHRA Rookie of the Year title.

The crop of racers eligible for Rookie of the Year was absolutely stacked. Brandon Foster, Richard Gadson, Derrick Reese, Jasmine Salinas, Sienna Wildgust, Daniel Wilkerson, and Ida Zetterstrom were all on the ballot with Stewart. That level of talent made for a tight race.

“It’s a big honor to win this award this season,” Stewart said. “There are some great drivers in the NHRA and it’s one of the most diverse forms of motorsports I’ve been a part of. I’ve had a really good time working with the series this season to promote and continue to grow the sport.”

Stewart’s drag racing career was spurred on by his now wife Leah Pruett. At first, Stewart made some runs at Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School in a few different cars. Being the racer and competitor that he is, Stewart ended up behind the butterfly steering wheel of a Top Alcohol dragster and scoring victories. Stewart also made some runs in Pruett’s Top Fuel dragster as well prior to 2024.

When Pruett announced she was stepping out of the driver’s seat to start a family in 2024, Stewart made the decision to slide in and kick off his professional NHRA career. In 2024, Stewart advanced to the final round twice, made it to the semifinals four times, qualified for the Countdown to the Championship, and finished ninth in points for the season.

“It was an honor to be part of this group this year,” said Stewart, a NASCAR Hall of Famer. “The two main coaches I had were Matt Hagan and my wife, Leah. Thank you Leah for giving me this opportunity and I want to thank everyone at NHRA. It’s been a blast this year.”

Stewart hasn’t announced his 2024 racing plans just yet, but it’s safe to say he won’t be stepping out of a dragster anytime soon.