Stewart Haas Racing co-owner Tony Stewart received a lot of backlash for his untimely exit from NASCAR. But, for him, it was the right time to exit the sport with the financial burden and cost of racing crippling the owners. He didn’t hesitate to highlight 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports’ lawsuit against NASCAR, to help the racing community better understand the dynamics of running a team in the modern era.

As SHR nears its last NASCAR race, Tony Stewart has been more vocal and unfiltered in his criticism. He labeled the current charter agreement a joke after seeing the big boys bend their knees in front of France family. NASCAR has ruled the sport with an iron fist ever since its inception. And even Rick Hendrick and RTA’s alliance wasn’t successful in getting a fair deal when it came to the new charter agreement.

Tony Stewart didn’t want to be a part of the charter system

The charter deal saga has been going on for almost two years. All but two teams have agreed to sign the new charter deal controversially. It was a take-it-or-leave-it type of deal, and the threat of losing the ownership of their charters forced the owners’ hands into inking the new charter agreement.

Initially, it looked like the alliance of owners like Joe Gibbs, Rick Hendrick, and Roger Penske would force NASCAR to build a sustainable business system. But, ultimately, NASCAR had its way, just like they usually do, and this is what HMS owner Rick Hendrick had to say about the negotiation process: “I was just tired.” This stood out for SHR co-owner Tony Stewart, who didn’t hold back in calling out NASCAR’s broken system.

“The charter agreements are a joke. And if people aren’t smart enough to read between the lines of when someone like Rick Hendrick says, I just got tired of arguing with them. Do you think Rick Hendrick runs his business and negotiations just say, I’m just going to sign this agreement because I’m tired arguing with you? Rick Hendrick’s never done that a day in his life.” Stewart said in a recent interview.

Teams have to shell out close to $20 million a year to run a race team. For a team like SHR, which has four charters, the expenditure is even more. Not to forget, the teams still depend on sponsorship money to stay afloat in the business, and that aspect hasn’t been too promising for them as well. Well, if a team like Hendrick Motorsports is unable to churn out profits, it goes to show how difficult it is for teams to operate financially.

“So if people aren’t smart enough to read between the lines and figure out what that means, then you’re all missing the whole big picture, all by itself. So it’s just an era that I don’t want to be a part of anymore. I’m a purist; I’m an old-school guy when it comes to racing,” he added. Moreover, while speaking to his old friend Kevin Harvick, Stewart further elaborated on his exit from NASCAR to shift his attention to other important projects.

NASCAR racing isn’t what it used to be

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We often hear about the heyday of stock car racing, where sponsors used to line up to feature on the race cars. The racing was exciting and one that allowed the drivers to make or break their fortunes on the racetracks. Moreover, Stewart Haas Racing over the last decade from 2011-2020 was a powerhouse team that enjoyed success with the #4 team. But, for some reason, the team wasn’t able to continue its dominance in the new era of stock car racing.

SHR lost out on their star driver this year and also saw Busch Light jump ship to Trackhouse Racing. Not only that, their OEM partnership with Ford was also about to end by 2024. Unable to turn the corner in terms of performance on the racetrack, Stewart and Gene Haas had to make a tough call to shut down. While the new teams like Spire Motorsports and Trackhouse Racing are thriving, SHR wasn’t sold on the new business model.

“NASCAR is not what it used to be; it is drastically different than what it used to be. And that’s okay for some people; for some people it’s not. I guess I’m one of those people. I have a lot of respect for the France family… But this is a time when things are drastically changing in the sport. You look at what’s going on with 23XI and Front Row Motorsports right now and the direction that things are going. It’s not a direction that I want to be a part of. This was never part of the master plan, but this is the right time for me to get out of the sport.” Smoke said this on the Happy Hour podcast.

While NASCAR has all the right to defend its stance against the teams, the exit of a notable team like SHR is indeed a loss for the sport.