Fans last saw Tony Stewart compete in NASCAR back in 2016. While he has stayed active as a full-time NHRA drag racer, even picking up two wins in 2025, speculations about a NASCAR return never really went away. That chatter only grew louder after Kaulig unveiled its ‘Free Agent’ program in November. And earlier this month, it was announced that Stewart will compete on February 13 for the Truck Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway. It goes without saying that fans were excited to see his new truck.

Kaulig Racing has just released the first glimpse of what Stewart’s truck will look like. It’s a complete ‘Smoke’ show, as they have managed to promote both RAM’s and Stewart’s comeback together on it.

The hood and back of the vehicle feature “RAM is back”, whereas there’s “Welcome to the Smoke show” written all around the truck. The yellow and black theme is eye-catching.

Stewart will drive the #25 Ram 1500 for Kaulig. With this, he will become RAM’s first competitor of the Free Agent program within the Truck Series.

However, the free agent truck will often feature a different driver as the seat is open to talent across motorsports. In fact, leading into race weekend, there will be announcements about who will drive the car for a particular event. 

“I’ve raced just about everything with four wheels at Daytona, but never a truck. So when a seat in the new Ram was offered up for their first race back in NASCAR, I didn’t hesitate,” Stewart said about his return earlier this month. “Ram’s Free Agent program is another great way for me to stay sharp and have a little fun.”

The program is meant to bring legendary drivers and rising stars into the spotlight.

“Bringing Tony in as the first Free Agent will generate a crazy amount of excitement,” said Tim Kuniskis, head of American Brands, SRT Performance, North America marketing and retail strategy, Stellantis. “This is about honoring a legacy. Tony represents grit, determination and the spirit of racing—pure adrenaline for the fans.”

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Stewart’s last race in the Truck Series came in 2005 at the MBNA RacePoints 200 at Dover. He continued racing in the O’Reilly Auto Parts and Cup Series, though, with the final races being the 2013 DRIVE4COPD 300 at Daytona, and the 2016 Ford EcoBoost 400 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway.

This means the 54-year-old will drive a NASCAR racecar for the first time in 10 years, and a truck after 21 years. This should have been enough to generate excitement. But it seems the look for the truck was largely underwhelming.

Fans shared a surprising reaction to Tony Stewart’s Daytona ride

Some fans may have liked the Yellow-Black RAM 1500 Truck, but it also faced a lot of criticism from others. From calling out the color choice and paint scheme to asking about the sponsorship, there were many questions.

A fan called the Truck “sweet”, but then warned that Stewart should be aware of the upcoming wrecks at the Daytona International Speedway. “This truck is sweet, but there is likely an impending crashout from Tony after the talent level isn’t up to his standards.”

Another fan questioned the color choice of Stewart and Matt Kaulig’s team, Kaulig Racing. Calling it a huge downgrade compared to the last, here’s what another fan wrote, “Matte black under the lights? Incredible? Is it some kind of self convincing? Guys, when your actual racing liveries look like a huge downgrade to the early presentational one – that’s the warning sign.”

There were barely any names bigger than Stewart for the free agent program. The driver has won three championships and 49 races in the Cup Series. He was also the first-ballot inductee into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2020. So, it seems fans expected more.

When someone like Tony Stewart is returning to the sport, racing sponsors should have flooded his truck with their brands. However, in reality, the difference was big, as there was no visible sponsor. Mentioning this, a fan wrote: “Couldn’t even get a sponsor for a legend of the sport.”

But it was not all criticism on the internet. Some fans showed excitement and quite liked the truck:

• “Okay, that’s pretty cool. The Smoke Show. Love it.”
• “Oh man, this is so neat. I can’t wait!”

Besides the Fresh From Florida 250 at the Daytona International Speedway, Tony Stewart will also participate in four more races in 2026. It will be interesting to see how fans react once the paint schemes land on the track.