10X World of Outlaws Champ Defends Tony Stewart’s NHRA Devotion, Claims “Its a Breath of Fresh Air”

It’s no secret that NASCAR is a sport in which its drivers stick around for decades compared to other motorsport counterparts. Just take a look at Morgan Shepherd’s 50-year-long career, which also saw him return to the Cup Series with his team. Naturally, when NASCAR drivers feel they still have a lot to give to the sport, the most successful ones choose to leave a lasting impression not just as drivers, but also as team owners. And that is precisely the case with Tony Stewart’s illustrious legacy.

Not only does the 52-year-old guide Stewart-Haas Racing as an ideal team owner, but also has successful ventures with Tony Stewart Racing competing in the NHRA since 2021 and the Sprint Car World with the World of Outlaws. However, since Tony Stewart himself has begun competing in the NHRA, there was talk of the Sprint Car campaign side getting less personal attention. Fortunately, the driver leading Tony Stewart Racing’s sprint car side came to The Smoke’s rescue.

“We’ve gotten more on the same page” – Donny Schatz dismisses Tony Stewart being incompetent

During the World of Outlaws media day, Tony Stewart’s star sprint car driver and 10-time champion of the series, Donny Schatz, felt the need to address those questioning the boss’s decisions. Sharing that, both he and Stewart were fortunate to be surrounded by great people at Tony Stewart Racing’s Sprint car division. However, owing to Stewart’s extensive ventures in various series, he had far wider access to experience than the sprint car champion, and Schatz felt Stewart should make the most of that opportunity.

Schatz shared with the media, “You know he’s left the Cup ranks to kind of retire and enjoy his life and now it obviously gets more complicated with him drag racing. And with the performance we’ve had the last couple of years, he hasn’t sat us down in a room and said, ‘Guys, either do or die.’ He’s never done that. He’s not, he can show his frustration the same way I do, and not be happy, but we can all read each other and don’t even have to tell each other.”

While Tony Stewart has been away from the sprint car action, it’s allowed Schatz to surpass Stewart’s expectations on his own. Schatz added, “He’s on the next adventure but we’ve gotten more on the same page and I think his, you know, you get burned out on things and I’m not saying he got burned out on NASCAR or any type of racing but I can tell you what it’s like when you go into a form of motorsports that you haven’t been around, it’s like a breath of fresh air, something new.”

Taking an example from his illustrious career, Schatz shared how excited he was to try out Late Model racing because of how different it was. The change in scenery not only helped Schatz look at racing with a fresh perspective but it also helped him gain valuable insight into how the teams run. He concluded, “So he’s got the same thing with drag racing, and I went to Ponomo with him at the end of the year, and I see exactly why. I’ve never been a California fan but I went to California and had the time of my life at the drag races. And I’ve seen how motivated he is and excited he is.”

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So while Tony Stewart might be off to an exciting new adventure, Schatz feels that Smoke’s NHRA involvement will not only be good for the 52-year-old’s passion but also help all his teams support each other and grow.

“I’m super excited that he’s kind of left us alone” – Schatz praises Stewart’s management approach

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Speaking of his NHRA counterparts, Donny Schatz felt that the relationship between the various sides of the team was nothing but positive. After all, they all supported each other. Schatz shared, “I’ve seen our partners at the other side of the shop at TSR Nitro are fans of the World of Outlaws so when they’re working on their cars at night, we’re racing and they’re playing it, so now we have another team of supporters and its because Tony believes in this product and believes in the Dirt Racing and he believes in me.”

The World of Outlaws legend felt that Stewart’s trust and faith in him had resulted in a trickle-down effect, which meant the entire team appreciated each other’s roles. Regarding Stewart’s approach to leading, Schatz stated, “He’s the kind of person that hires the people he wants and lets them do their job. So that’s why I’m super excited that he’s kind of left us alone and let us figure things out and now we’re back where I feel like we’re on the right track.”

Schatz also was eager to see Stewart return to sprint cars someday with Tony Stewart Racing. But he felt it was the right call for The Smoke to go drag racing since it was different and a huge challenge. So with everyone within Tony Stewart’s team feeling he’s making all the right moves, the 2024 season for all his ventures should lead to some great results.

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