Tony Stewart Headlines Roster For Celebrity Midget Race At IRP
Tony Stewart Headlines Roster For Celebrity Midget Race At IRP
NASCAR legend Tony Stewart headlines a field of eight drivers that will be competing in a celebrity race at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park on June 26.
NASCAR legend and current NHRA Top Fuel points leader Tony Stewart headlines the list of stars set to compete in the Thursday Night Thunder Heroes Race at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park on June 26. The celebrity event, honoring Irish Saunders, will feature eight motorsports icons battling it out in pavement midgets.
Stewart was a frequent competitor at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park prior to his Hall of Fame career in the NASCAR ranks. The driver known as "Smoke" previously won USAC Silver Crown, USAC Midget and USAC Sprint Car races at the track. His last start at the track came behind the wheel of a Ford Crown Vic in May 2024.
Stewart will not be the only current NHRA driver trading in straight-line speed for left turns on Thursday night. Three-time NHRA world champion Ron Capps will be at the controls of Matt Seymour Racing’s No. 29 Allstar Midget. Capps, who has previously turned left at the Chili Bowl (2004) and with SRX at Eldora Speedway (2023), will be making his debut at the IRP oval.
Speaking of the Chili Bowl, five-time Chili Bowl Nationals winner Sammy Swindell will be in the field for the Thursday Night Thunder Heroes Race. Swindell has made six previous starts at IRP, including a fourth-place finish in the Midget Allstar Special last August.
Former Daytona 500 winner Ryan Newman, an Indianapolis native with more than 50 career starts at IRP, will also be competing in the race. Following a successful NASCAR career, Newman has remained busy on the short tracks by competing with the SMART Modified Tour, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and prestigious events like the Little 500.
Seven-time USAC champion Levi Jones will return to competitive racing for the first time since 2015 when he straps in behind the wheel on Thursday night. Jones currently serves as the General Manager of Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.
Former IndyCar driver Davey Hamilton, National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Brad Noffsinger and Michael Lewis complete the eight-car lineup for Thursday night's race.
The 20-lap Thursday Night Thunder Heroes Race will be held in conjunction with a 30-lap All-Star Pavement Midget feature. Both races will be streamed live on FloRacing.