Tony Stewart to make NASCAR return this weekend in Richmond

Tony Stewart, a three-time NASCAR champ who has been out since a January accident, will make his return this weekend in Richmond.

For the first two months of what was supposed to be his final season behind the wheel of a NASCAR ride, Tony Stewart has had to watch all the action from home while recovering from an ATV accident in California this January.

Now, as the race circuit heads to Richmond, Virginia this weekend, the racer they call “Smoke” is ready to get behind the wheel and change paint with other drivers.

Stewart, the part owner of the Stewart-Haas racing team, posted on Twitter that he will be back in his No. 14 Chevrolet when the green flag drops in the commonwealth this weekend:

In his absence, both Brian Vickers and Ty Dillion have driven the No. 14 car with an average finish around 22nd place this season.

Tony Stewart is a three-time champion on NASCAR’s top-level, last bringing home the title in 2011. He has been one of the sport’s most polarizing figures, based on his driving techniques on the track and his thoughts and comments off of it.

Stewart made headlines in 2014 when he was involved in an accident during a dirt track race in upstate New York where the car he was driving struck and killed a fellow driver who had gotten out of his vehicle. Stewart was not charged for the accident after an investigation.

Tony Stewart announced toward the end of last season that 2016 would be his final year as a driver in NASCAR, choosing to focus on the ownership side of his team. Clint Bowyer will take over behind the wheel of the car, which will also be switching to Ford for the 2017 season.

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