Tony Stewart could’ve easily made his name as a prominent IRL (NTT Indy Car) driver following his success in the 1996–97 season, winning the championship. However, during this same period, NASCAR was emerging as a major player in the American sport, and Stewart also wanted a piece of this action.

Back in 1996, he ran multiple races with Ranier-Walsh Racing in the Busch Series (Xfinity). But the big breakthrough for him came in 1998 when he caught the attention of Joe Gibbs. Impressed by Stewart’s racecraft, the coach offered him to run a major part of the schedule in the No. 44 car along with Bobby Labonte. He also simultaneously ran his full season in IRL, which turned out to be his last as he wanted to make it big in the stock car racing scene.

For a serial winner who was making a name for himself in open-wheel racing, a switch to NASCAR would be a tough choice. But, surprisingly, it was a rather simple decision for Stewart to make, which Stewart highlighted in an interview with Motor Sport Magazine.

Tony Stewart was sold on JGR’s vision and winning mentality

JGR wasn’t a big powerhouse back then, as we know. Joe Gibbs fielded a single-car race team in the Cup Series, but the success of the No. 18 car with Bobby Labonte inspired the team to expand their racing operations. And this is where Stewart came into the picture, running his first full season in the Busch Series. Later, he transitioned to the Cup level in 1999, when JGR became a two-car racing organization.

Tony Stewart sensed that JGR would be a perfect team that would fuel his competitive demands. Moreover, NASCAR was just too good of an opportunity for him to pass on. Sharing his thoughts on the drastic change in his racing career, he said, “The IRL had 11 races and NASCAR had 33 races. So I got to race more. Nobody was sure about the future of IRL back then, while NASCAR was going through the biggest growth spurt it had ever seen. It turned out to be the right move.”

He even credited Coach Gibbs and Labonte for influencing his racing career in that single season, running the No. 44 car in the Xfinity Series. “Racing for the Joe Gibbs team in the Busch Series, I learnt so many lessons … and they had Bobby Labonte with a second car for me. I learnt more there than at any other time in my career. They were there for just one reason, to win races and to win championships and it was a top-notch organization, a unique opportunity,” Stewart added.

Stewart’s intuition about JGR reaching new heights in NASCAR did come true. Labonte went on to win the team’s first Cup Series title in 2000. And, two years later, he would have his crowing moment, bagging his maiden Cup Series trophy during the 2002 season. However, this storied partnership would come to an end in 2008 as Stewart decided to co-own a new team with Gene Haas at SHR.

Team ownership was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Smoke

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Tony Stewart represented the JGR banner for a decade, starting in 1999, in the Cup Series. During his time with the team, he won two Cup Series championships and multiple races. But, with the dynamics of the sport changing, he was looking to embark on a new adventure, which was co-owning a team with Gene Haas. Although he initially had doubts about this venture, his gamble paid off as they started winning and competing for championships.

Describing his tenure as co-owner and driver at SHR in the initial days, the 53-year-old said, “A lot more stress and responsibility went along with it but it was a great opportunity for me to have a future after driving … When we won at Charlotte, it was only our ninth race and the first time Haas had ever won a NASCAR Cup event. That made me feel good about my decision. And then, when I won the championship in 2011 and Kevin Harvick did so in 2014, we’d really made our mark.”

Unfortunately, after a successful stint in the Cup Series, Tony Stewart will be taking an exit door from NASCAR racing and closing down the racing operations at SHR. Meanwhile, his partner, Gene Haas, has decided to stick around with a new racing entity.