The Tony Stewart NASCAR team shakeup has shaken the world of motorsports, as Stewart-Haas Racing announced its closure in May 2024, leaving drivers in a scramble for new opportunities. The latest ripple from this decision comes with Tony Stewart‘s former World of Outlaws driver, Donny Schatz, finding a new, albeit uncertain, ride after their professional split last week.
Schatz Parts Ways with Tony Stewart After Long Partnership
Tony Stewart‘s announcement that he would close his NASCAR Cup Series team in 2024 sent shockwaves through drivers such as Ryan Preece and others connected with Stewart-Haas Racing, plunging their futures into uncertainty. Amidst this upheaval, Donny Schatz—who had raced for Stewart’s World of Outlaws team for 18 years—also faced his own career crossroads. During their partnership, Schatz achieved eight World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series titles and secured nine Knoxville Nationals victories. Their collaboration abruptly ended, pushing Schatz into perhaps the most turbulent phase of his storied career.
A Sudden Opportunity Arises for Donny Schatz
Within just a day of his split from Tony Stewart, Donny Schatz was offered a seat by Big Game Motorsports to drive the No. 15 car at Ogilvie Raceway in Minnesota. Unfortunately, his debut was marred by misfortune. In the opening feature, Schatz lost control in Turn 1, overturning his car and severely damaging the chassis. When quick repairs proved impossible, Lunstra Motorsports—run by Dave Lunstra of Sioux Falls—stepped in, providing Schatz with another chance to compete, this time at Jackson Motorplex.
Schatz’s time with Big Game Motorsports quickly unraveled. By Monday evening, he confirmed to FloRacing that the contract was no longer viable, citing that the plan for him to be a teammate to David Gravel had fallen through. Instead, he is set to compete with Lunstra Motorsports through the end of August. His upcoming schedule includes a race at Mississippi Thunder Speedway in Fountain City, Wisconsin, and further appearances in his home state of North Dakota at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks and Red River Valley Speedway in West Fargo, closing out his stint at Huset’s Speedway’s L.G. Everist Huset’s Shootout.
“Tod Quiring’s still helping out, all them guys are helping us keep going. Tod and I we’ve been friends a long time. And I told him it was a bad idea to begin with, because if anything happens, it puts his guys in a bad spot if they try to keep going. And that’s exactly what happened. It’s just the way it works. It’s not their responsibility to come to my rescue, and with this going on, but they’ve been super incredible, and so has Dave Lunstra.”
—Donny Schatz, Driver
Despite navigating this series of team shifts and uncertainty, Donny Schatz continues to receive critical support. Tod Quiring and his Big Game Motorsports group, including sponsorship from ShopHusets.com, remain steadfast supporters, demonstrating the lasting relationships honed during his long career. As Schatz himself confirms, this unique arrangement with teams and sponsors is helping him remain in the competition while reestablishing team dynamics as his situation evolves.
Building Momentum with Lunstra Motorsports
The hallmark of successful racing is a unified team effort, and Donny Schatz found this spirit with Lunstra Motorsports from the start. During his first World of Outlaws feature for the new team at Jackson, Schatz finished 10th, later expressing regret that an untimely restart kept him from achieving a top-six result. Nonetheless, he valued the collaboration and hard work demonstrated by his new team members. Notably, Schatz’s crew includes former TSR staffers Brad Alexander and Stephen Hamm-Reilly, who continue to provide technical expertise and support.
“I want to be ready for anything, but you can’t say you’ll be ultimately prepared going through anything like this. It’s like the other night, I ran 10th, but I felt like I won the race because everybody busted their b—-. It took 20 people to get, like I said, what two should be able to do. And we qualified good. We made it into the dash, which I haven’t done very much this year.”
—Donny Schatz, Driver
Schatz’s reflection on his performance highlights the value he places on team spirit and work ethic, particularly amidst unexpected transitions. His veteran perspective and gratitude for both longstanding and new colleagues point to a renewed sense of purpose, even as each race brings new challenges in adapting to different cars, personnel, and circumstances.
What This Means for Stewart, Schatz, and the Racing World
The abrupt breakup between Tony Stewart and Donny Schatz marks a significant chapter both for their personal legacies and the broader World of Outlaws community. For Stewart, the closure of his NASCAR operation and the end of a winning partnership with Schatz signals a strategic pivot potentially shaped by broader industry pressures and changing priorities. For Schatz, the Tony Stewart NASCAR team shakeup has tested his resilience and network within motorsports, yet he continues competing at a high level with support from friends and new business partners like Dave Lunstra.
As the racing world watches to see where Donny Schatz ultimately lands, this saga underscores the volatility and opportunity within motorsports. The support structures, sponsors, and team bonds forged over decades are being tested, but for now, Schatz remains a force on track, determined to write his next chapter amid the sport’s ever-changing landscape.
