Tony Stewart says he would fire all of NASCAR's upper management
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The gist
Three-time NASCAR Cup champion Tony Stewart said he would fire all of NASCAR's upper management on day one.
Stewart says the sport has lost its original fan base and grown too complicated to follow.
Background
Tony Stewart is a three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion who retired from full-time driving after 2016, a NASCAR Hall of Famer, and former co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, the team he sold his stake in after the 2024 season. The sources say stepping away from running that team leaves him free to speak his mind about the sport's direction. He made the comments to Sportico, and they were published as NASCAR wrapped its 2026 season and looked toward 2027.
How it unfolded
- Nov 7, 2026Tony Stewart, 55, received the Robert E. Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 SEMA Industry Honors in Las Vegas, recognizing nearly five decades as a driver, team owner and racetrack promoter.
- Nov 8, 2026The 2026 NASCAR season concluded with the championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
- Nov 9, 2026Racing News published Stewart's comments to Sportico that he would fire all of NASCAR's upper management on his first day.
Key terms
- NASCAR
- American auto racing sanctioning and operating company best known for stock car racing.
- NASCAR Cup champion
- The top racing series of NASCAR, the most prestigious stock car racing series in the United States.
- NASCAR Hall of Famer
- A person inducted into the hall of fame honoring NASCAR's all-time drivers, crew chiefs, owners, broadcasters and officials.
Source: Wikipedia
Who’s saying what
- Stewart
- He would clean house at the top and bring in fresh eyes and ears, saying people who truly understand the sport's history are crucial to winning back its original fan base.
- Stewart
- He says the sport has become so complicated that even he, two years removed, can't follow everything, and that some upper-management people trying to make a difference get handcuffed.