Tony “Smoke” Stewart, one of the biggest names in the history of auto racing, is expected to race in Greenville on Friday.
Charity Kilgore, one of the new managers of the Greenville Speedway, got the call Tuesday evening that Tony Stewart was coming to her track.
“We are really excited,” Kilgore said. “We have had some famous drivers come here before, but no one at the level of Tony Stewart.”
Stewart, a retired NASCAR legend, currently races in the USCS Sprint Cars series, a series which makes a regular stop in Greenville. Stewart is hoping to accrue points in Greenville to win a series championship.
Gates open at 5 p.m. for spectators Friday. Live racing should begin around 7:30 p.m.
General admission tickets are $20. Senior citizen tickets cost $15. Children five and under get in free.
Stewart is expected to sign autographs after his racing is completed, Kilgore said.
Stewart’s appearance is just an added bonus, said Kilgore, to what looks to be an exciting night of racing. Stewart’s race is part of the United Sprint Car Series (USCS) Outlaw Thunder Tour. Super Late Models will also co-headline the program.
Born in Indiana, Stewart is the first and only driver to win championships in stock cars, Indy cars and open-wheel Midget, Sprint and Silver Crown cars. And his three NASCAR Cup Series championships make him one of just 15 drivers who have scored multiple Cup titles, and only the ninth driver to win three or more championships.
Throughout the racing season, Stewart, in a nod to his racing roots, frequently makes appearances on dirt tracks throughout the United States and Canada.
