Stewart eyes return to Indy 500 in 2019

Tony Stewart is considering a return to the Indianapolis 500 next year. Stewart, a three-time NASCAR champ and Indiana native, grew up chasing a win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He won twice there in NASCAR’s Brickyard 400, but was never able to win the Indy 500.

He last entered the event in 2001. Now retired from full-time racing, Stewart said Thursday he’d like another crack at the Indy 500. But he has one caveat: he will only drive a competitive car. “If I go, I’m not going just to run it,” he said. “I want to go feeling like I’ve got the same opportunity to win that everyone else in the field does.”

Stewart has five starts in the Indianapolis 500, starting on the pole as a rookie in 1996 and leading 64 laps in a career-best fifth in 1997.

Stewart will turn 48 next May before the Indy 500. He could potentially get a ride with Andretti Autosport, which fields multiple cars in the Indy 500 every year. Stewart has a friendship with current IndyCar driver Marco Andretti and is a former competitor against team owner Michael Andretti. Andretti is also currently a Honda team and that wouldn’t conflict with Stewart’s business interests. Stewart-Haas Racing, which Stewart co-owns, fields Fords in NASCAR.

Stewart was one of the star attractions Thursday in Dearborn, Mich., when Ford unveiled the Mustang it will run in NASCAR’s top Cup Series next season. Stewart drove one of the new cars into the unveiling. The Mustang has raced in the second-tier Xfinity Series since 2011.