A racing career is not only remembered through victories and championships but also through the moments and memories made on track. As former IndyCar star Marco Andretti gears up to launch his memoir, NASCAR legend Tony Stewart penned a heartfelt message for his friend. 

Earlier this year, in May, Andretti announced the release of his new memoir, "Defending the Dynasty: The Marco Andretti Memoir." The book, set to release in March 2027, will be a "candid collection of the trials and triumphs that have shaped him."

On Tuesday, the third-generation racer made a collaborative Instagram post with Tony Stewart. He shared a photo of them from the SRX days, and the second slide of the carousel had a heartwarming forward from Stewart, an excerpt of which read:

"Few things have exemplified the top of the craft like the conversations I've had with Marco in May as he prepared for the Indianapolis 500.  As a race car driver, he just never let anything slip. The attention to detail that we talked about and every little aspect of what he was looking and fighting for with his car, to me represents the pinnacle of the sport."

Stewart, who won championships in both IndyCar and NASCAR, highlighted the Andretti legacy in global motorsport, which began with Marco's grandfather, Mario Andretti.

"Marco had a common last name in the sport, but he was an uncommon driver. His car control and pure ability to manipulate a race car was in the top one percent of drivers all time," Stewart added.

"Smoke" also recalled IndyCar's 2019 Detroit GP, during which the Andretti opted for slicks on a wet track, adding how he could "watch the in-car footage a thousand times and never get bored".

Stewart concluded  the note with a heartfelt message, writing,  

"Marco, you are a hell of a friend and a hell of a mentor to a lot of us. We're so proud to know you, proud to have raced you and alongside you, and most of all, proud to call you a great friend."

When Marco Andretti and Tony Stewart shared the racetrack 

Besides their friendship off the track, the two drivers have gone head-to-head on track during their SRX racing days.

While the two drivers built their careers in different disciplines that led them down different career paths, their paths crossed while racing in Ray Evernham and Tony Stewart's brainchild, which was the SRX series.

The series brought together drivers from across different motorsports series. Andretti joined the series in its inaugural season in 2021 and went on to compete through 2023, the final season.

During the race at South Boston Speedway in 2022, Stewart and Andretti went wheel to wheel and kept swapping leads throughout the race. "Smoke" eventually emerged as the winner after leading 68 of 100 laps, while Andretti led the other 32.

In the same season, Marco Andretti won the SRX championship without winning a single race and beat his friend and the co-owner of the series, Tony Stewart.

Although they had their battles on track, they shared mutual respect, and the note Stewart wrote for Andretti reflects the same.

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Written by

Chionia Libania Colaco

Edited by

Yash Kotak