NASCAR legend Tony Stewart takes on drag racing

NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart plans to compete full-time in NHRA drag racing in 2023.

Stewart, 51, announced Tuesday he will drive a Top Alcohol Dragster for McPhillips Racing.

His season will begin at next month's Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla.

"It's nerve-wracking to try and do something different, but when you have a team like what the McPhillips Racing team has, it makes everything a lot easier," Stewart said.

The three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion (2002, 2005 and 2011) made his NHRA debut last October when he advanced to the finals at the Nevada Nationals and finished second.

Stewart said this season will be more about learning than chasing a championship.

"It's hard to sit there and know what expectations we should have for the year," he said. "I think as long as I keep learning more and more as I go by trying to be more consistent with driving the car, keep it in the groove, trying to stay consistent on reaction times and improve reaction times, those are all goals for me. I want to keep learning and get better every weekend and every race we go to."

Stewart was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2020. He won 49 Cup races.