Tony Stewart eyes Indy 500 in 2019 in bid for elusive title

DEARBORN, MICH. » Tony Stewart would like to race in next year’s Indianapolis 500. The 47-year-old retired NASCAR driver is an Indiana native who grew up hoping to win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He did so twice in NASCAR’s Brickyard 400, but was never able to win the Indy 500. He last entered the event in 2001.

Stewart revealed his interest to race at Indy again on Thursday during Ford’s unveiling of the Mustang it will run in NASCAR’s top Cup Series next season. The three-time NASCAR champion is a co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, which fields Fords.

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

Stewart, a Stewart-Haas Racing coowner, drove a Mustang onto a stage for the reveal with all 13 Ford Cup drivers in attendance.

The Mustang has raced in the secondtier Xfinity Series since 2011.