It’s a collaboration nobody expected. Three-time Cup Series winner Tony Stewart has teamed up with NASCAR’s newest superstar in an exciting new crossover. ‘Smoke’ recently shared a video on Instagram teasing an appearance in a YouTube video, where he’s competing with a content creator in a high-octane automotive challenge. While the racer’s versatility is the stuff of legends, will the veteran rise to the occasion in a truly unique challenge, or wilt under the pressure?Stewart is not known for backing down from a challenge, especially if it involves driving a car. The NHRA racer has faced worse odds in his illustrious career, and that confidence propelled him to accept the battle with a prominent social media influencer with open arms.Tony Stewart takes on a unique challengeTony Stewart has been there and done that. The 53-year-old has competed in a variety of motorsports disciplines in his long but illustrious career, plying his trade in NASCAR, IndyCar, the International Race of Champions, the Rolex Sports Car Series, and many others. As a result, ‘Smoke has a CV that most drivers can only dream about, highlighting not just his sheer talent but his ability to adapt to different formats.Joining Cleetus McFarland in his latest YouTube video, Tony Stewart took part in the high-octane ‘Hard Park the Spark’ challenge, which involves driving a vehicle at a high speed and parking it in a tight spot. The ARCA Menards Series driver made the first attempt, making a sharp drift at a high speed before the car came to an abrupt stop. The parking was far from perfect as the hatchback spun more than expected and went beyond the curb.After a second failed attempt, it was Tony Stewart’s chance to take the reign. Looking as confident as ever, the veteran racer drove with speed, prompting McFarland to say, “You’re goin in hot! You’re goin in hot!” However, years of experience have honed Smoke’s instincts well, and the racer began to drift before abruptly stopping right in the middle of the two cones that were placed at the designated parking spot. The attempt left the YouTuber impressed, who applauded and said, “No way! By a mile the closest celebrity shot. That was phenomenal!” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tony Stewart (@tsrsmoke)Unsurprisingly, the front tire was exactly where it needed to be even though the car’s rear tilted more than it should have. However, the attempt was a fantastic one under the circumstances, as Stewart taught McFarland a lesson in his own game. The YouTuber, who has over four million subscribers on the social media platform, recently made his ARCA Menards debut with Rette Jones Racing, where he drove the No. 30 Ford and finished in 30th place at Daytona International Speedway.Leah Pruett responds to McFarland’s hilarious post-race interviewIt seems like Cleetus McFarland is getting well acquainted with Tony Stewarts’ family. The Youtuber/racer crashed out at the 2025 Daytona ARCA 200 on his debut, wrecking the No. 30 Ford on Lap 15. The Nebraska native started the race in 23rd place and was caught up in a wreck on Lap 12 when a car spun in front of him. Narrowly escaping the incident, the 29-year-old wasn’t so lucky the second time as an on-track incident forced him to retire early on his debut.Narrating the incident after the race, McFarland said, “I’m hot-dogging into one and two and the car lost it in front of me, I saw it. Didn’t have enough brakes to get slowed down before it, and tried to go around it, misread it, zigged instead of zagged when I should have zagged, and I zigged, and bam blew the front end right off my hot rod.” In response to his post-race interview, Leah Pruett wrote on X, “@cleetusmcfarland just being the man.”After his appearance at Daytona International Speedway, Cleetus McFarland plans to make his second ARCA Menards Series appearance at Talladega Superspeedway on April 26. Revealing his plans for the Dale Jr. Download podcast, the content creator simply said, “I’m going to ‘Dega.” With Tony Stewart currently competing in the NHRA, could the YouTuber be making an appearance in the top alcohol dragster category in the foreseeable future? Time will tell.The post Tony “Smoke” Stewart Battles NASCAR’s New Social Media King in His Own Backyard appeared first on EssentiallySports.