Tony Stewart Returns to FOX Broadcast Booth for NHRA Playoff Opener at Maple Grove Raceway

220830 Tony Stewart

READING, PA – September 14, 2022 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – Hall of Fame driver and team owner Tony Stewart is returning to the FOX broadcast booth this weekend as the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series kicks off its Countdown to the Championship playoffs with the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway.

Stewart will once again join the NHRA on FOX team of Brian Lohnes and Tony Pedregon for eliminations on Sunday, with the event also serving as the NFL adjacent broadcast on FOX. It puts the NHRA on a huge platform to open its 2022 playoffs, with Stewart also in the broadcast booth for the second consecutive race.

“Tony’s work in the FOX NHRA booth for the U.S. Nationals was absolute nails,” said Frank Wilson, FOX Sports VP Event & Studio Production. “Drawing from his experience as a Hall of Fame driver, a team and track owner, and the relationships he has with some of the biggest names in the business, Tony has a unique perspective and can talk to nearly any aspect of racing with insight and credibility. It will be great to have him back in the booth Sunday for the opening of the NHRA Countdown to the Championship.”

Eliminations will air on FOX at either 2 p.m. ET or 4:30 p.m. based on local NFL coverage areas. Last season, NHRA on FOX television coverage that ran adjacent to FOX’s NFL singleheader was the most-viewed NHRA telecast on FOX, and Stewart’s addition for eliminations adds another exciting element for race fans at the must-see playoff opener.

NHRA also opens the six-race Countdown to the Championship with plenty of momentum, as the prestigious Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indy drew 840,000 viewers for Monday’s eliminations on FOX with Stewart in the booth. That marks an increase of nearly 10 percent from last year’s FOX broadcast of the U.S. Nationals.

That leads into the playoff opener at Maple Grove Raceway, which also finishes off a string of eight of nine NHRA events appearing on FOX.

“Tony Stewart’s addition to the US Nationals broadcast proved to be a great success. Not only was there instant chemistry in the broadcast booth with Brian Lohnes and Tony Pedregon but it was immediately clear that he possesses a next-level passion and knowledge of NHRA drag racing, which seamlessly translated during the broadcast,” NHRA Vice President of Broadcasting Steve Reintjes said. “As we move to Reading and start our Countdown to the Championship, we’re thrilled to have Tony join the team again in front of our largest TV audience of the season.”

In addition to his broadcast duties, Stewart will have a pair of teams in action this weekend. The championship-winning driver and owner became an NHRA team owner this season for the first time, with both Top Fuel’s Leah Pruett and Funny Car’s Matt Hagan competing under the Tony Stewart Racing banner. Hagan, a three-time world champ, opens the Countdown to the Championship in third, while Leah, who won in Denver this year, will start the postseason in seventh.

Television coverage of the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals also includes qualifying action on FS1 at 7:00 p.m. ET on Friday and 11:00 a.m. on Sunday. For more information on NHRA, please visit www.nhra.com.

NHRA ON FOX SCHEDULE

Sept. 15-18: Pep Boys NHRA Nationals, Maple Grove Raceway, Reading, Pa. SUNDAY, SEPT. 18 2:00-4:00 P.M. ET or 4:30-6:30 P.M. ET on FOX (NFL adjacent broadcast, check local listings)

Qualifying action at each race will air on Fox Sports 1 (FS1). For the full NHRA broadcast schedule on FOX and FS1, please visit www.nhra.com.

About Camping World Holdings, Inc.

Camping World Holdings, Inc., headquartered in Lincolnshire, IL, (together with its subsidiaries) is America’s largest retailer of RVs and related products and services. Our vision is to build a long-term legacy business that makes RVing fun and easy, and our Camping World and Good Sam brands have been serving RV consumers since 1966. We strive to build long-term value for our customers, employees, and shareholders by combining a unique and comprehensive assortment of RV products and services with a national network of RV dealerships, service centers and customer support centers along with the industry’s most extensive online presence and a highly trained and knowledgeable team of associates serving our customers, the RV lifestyle, and the communities in which we operate. We also believe that our Good Sam organization and family of programs and services uniquely enable us to connect with our customers as stewards of the RV enthusiast community and the RV lifestyle. With RV sales and service locations in 42 states, Camping World has grown to become the prime destinations for everything RV. For more information, visit www.CampingWorld.com

About NHRA

Headquartered in San Dimas, Calif., NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 22 national events featuring the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by D-Wagon, Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown and Top Fuel Harley Series. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League for youth ages 5 to 17. With over 120 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

Source: National Hot Rod Association

NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series

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