Tony Stewart quietly stepped away from NASCAR following the 2024 season, leaving behind a championship legacy and a closed race shop at Stewart-Haas Racing. For nearly a year, little was heard from the three-time Cup Series champion. Now, that silence has broken—not through NASCAR, but through a victory in the NHRA Top Fuel competition.
At 53, Stewart reflects on the sport he once ruled, offering new insight into his departure, frustrations with NASCAR’s changing landscape, and future plans. Behind his words lies a story of transition, loyalty, and a deep connection to the people who shaped his racing journey.
Fatherhood, NHRA Racing, and Life After Stewart-Haas
Since stepping away from full-time involvement in NASCAR, Tony Stewart has immersed himself in a new lifestyle. He became a father and shifted his competitive energy into NHRA drag racing. Stewart earned his first Top Fuel win at the 2025 NHRA 4-Wide Nationals in Las Vegas—a career milestone that took over a year of work and perseverance.
“It’s unreal,” Stewart said after the race. “I haven’t been around NHRA that long, and I realize it takes a long time to win a race in this series. But everything in my career—I never had to wait over a year to win. I always figured it out in the first year, and usually won multiple times.”
Sunday’s win was not just a personal milestone; it symbolized a transition for Stewart. Now racing full-time in a different series, he has found success again—but this time with a team that reminds him of his earlier NASCAR days. “All the credit goes to this team. I’m so proud of my guys,” he said. After nearly a decade without a win in any top-tier motorsport, the moment was both emotional and gratifying.
Stewart Still Drawn to NASCAR’s People, Despite Frustration with the Business
Though Stewart left NASCAR under difficult circumstances, he admitted he still misses the garage. “I’m definitely planning on coming back to NASCAR races,” he told SiriusXM. “As a member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, I get a hard card. I don’t know if NASCAR has the ability to revoke that or not, but until they do, I’m going to take advantage of having a hard card and I definitely want to come back and see everybody.”
Stewart emphasized that the relationships he built over the years remain the most important part of his NASCAR experience. “I miss a lot of things about NASCAR and most of all, the people. The people are what I enjoyed about it and the relationships I had there.”
However, Stewart also acknowledged the frustration that led to his departure, especially regarding NASCAR’s evolving business model. In a 2024 interview on Cars and Culture with Jason Stein, he criticized the sport’s current direction and the handling of the charter system.
“At the end of the day, if you enjoy what you see [in NASCAR], that’s okay. But for someone like myself who has been in the sport for over 20 years, what it was when I started and where it’s at now… I don’t necessarily agree with it,” Stewart said. “The charter agreements are a joke. When someone like Rick Hendrick says, ‘I just got tired of arguing with them,’ that says everything.”
He continued, “I’m a purist, I’m an old-school guy when it comes to racing.” Stewart’s frustration was not just about contracts or control—it was about values. In his view, the essence of NASCAR had become lost in a maze of politics and business decisions, prompting his exit as a team owner.
Tony Stewart winning his first NHRA Top Fuel race Sunday in Las Vegas brought him back to a NASCAR moment from the beginning of Stewart-Haas Racing: pic.twitter.com/AZRojHbcDm
— Kelly Crandall (@KellyCrandall) April 15, 2025
Honoring the Legacy of Stewart-Haas Racing
Even while celebrating his NHRA win, Stewart couldn’t help but reflect on his past in NASCAR—specifically the rise and fall of Stewart-Haas Racing. The team’s shutdown in 2024 affected over 300 employees, but Stewart made sure to leave on a responsible note. “We created a great severance package for at least 80 percent of the workforce,” he said. It was a decision rooted in loyalty and care for the people who helped build the team from the ground up.
Stewart recalled his early days with SHR vividly. In 2008, he left Joe Gibbs Racing, where he had won two championships, to become a driver-owner at what was then known as Haas CNC Racing. It was a bold move that many considered a risk. “I was told I was ruining my career,” Stewart remembered. “But in just three months, we won the All-Star Race in 2009.”
He vividly described that moment. “People were telling me I was crazy to leave Joe Gibbs Racing… I remember looking at one of the guys and asking, ‘What is wrong? What happened?’ He said that group of guys had never won a NASCAR Cup Series race.”
“That moment, I realized it was not about me proving the naysayers wrong. It was about the guys and the people we had put together. That’s what mattered.”
This sentiment has carried over into his NHRA venture. Seeing his current crew in Victory Lane brought back those same emotions. The joy of winning was not just personal—it was a team victory, a reflection of collective effort and belief.
Racing Toward the Future with an Eye on the Past
Tony Stewart may have left the NASCAR spotlight, but his racing story is far from over. His first Top Fuel win represents a new chapter, filled with challenges and triumphs that continue to build his already storied career. Yet his heart is still anchored to the NASCAR garage, where he built lasting relationships and forged a competitive legacy.
Looking ahead, Stewart plans to return to the NASCAR garage area as often as possible. Though he no longer has the pressures of ownership or day-to-day operations, he will continue to be a part of the sport in spirit and presence.
And if his recent NHRA victory is any indication, Tony Stewart’s fire hasn’t dimmed. Instead, it has found a new track—one that still echoes with the lessons, loyalty, and teamwork that made him a champion in stock cars.
News In Brief: Tony Stewart Ready to Make NASCAR Return
Tony Stewart’s story is not just about leaving one sport for another. It’s about evolution, resilience, and staying true to one’s values. While he may not agree with the current direction of NASCAR, his legacy within the sport is unquestionable. Stewart-Haas Racing may have closed its doors, but the spirit of what made that team successful lives on in Stewart’s actions and reflections.
His NHRA Top Fuel victory is more than a checkered flag—it’s a symbol of perseverance, of adapting without forgetting one’s roots. Whether he’s walking through the NHRA pit area or back in the NASCAR garage with his hard card in hand, Tony Stewart remains a powerful presence in the world of motorsports.
ALSO READ: Tony Stewart Recalls His NASCAR Past with a Powerful Reminder: “It Brought Me Back to… 2009”
