‘I Don’t Work for Them’ – Tony Stewart Tears Into NASCAR’s ‘Ignorant’ Leadership Over Years of Frustration

If you thought Tony Stewart was done with NASCAR just because he walked away from the sport, think again. “Smoke” is still burning hot, especially when calling out what he sees as pure ignorance from the NASCAR management.

Stewart isn’t one to bite his tongue, and now that he doesn’t work for NASCAR anymore, he’s letting it all out. And honestly, it sounds like it’s been building for years.

Smoke’s Fire Didn’t Just Start Yesterday

Stewart, a three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and former co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, is one of the sport’s most outspoken personalities. Long before drivers like Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch started taking jabs at the organization, Stewart was already sounding off.

Let’s rewind to 2007. Stewart won the Brickyard 400 in his home state of Indiana, but in the heat of emotion, said a little too much afterward. Even though it was not directed towards NASCAR, they weren’t happy. They slapped him with a $25,000 fine and deducted 25 points from him. That wasn’t a one-time thing either. In 2016, he went off again—this time about safety concerns—and got fined another $35,000.

Now that he’s stepped away from being a team owner and driver, Stewart’s filter is entirely off. In a recent podcast episode of “Rubbin is Racing,” he called out how NASCAR dismisses drivers’ input, sharing a moment when 20 drivers suggested ways to improve racing—and were all told they were wrong.

“One guy told us all five things we said were the opposite,” Stewart said. “And he goes, our data shows the other way. He had never driven a race car. Never worked on a race car. But tells us that 20 drivers that have been doing this their entire lives and worked their ass to get to this professional level told us we were all wrong.”

He added, “before that would have got me a fine a year ago, I would have got fined for what I just said. I don’t work for them anymore. I can say whatever the hell I want.”

Tony Stewart Calling Out the ‘Joke’ of a System

Stewart also has major issues with NASCAR’s business side, especially the charter system. Introduced in 2016, the charter model was meant to give teams some security. But in Stewart’s eyes, it’s become nothing more than the governing body pulling all the strings.

He isn’t the only one who feels that way, either. Big names like Michael Jordan and Hamlin have joined the fight, especially after NASCAR’s recent charter negotiations last year. That led to an antitrust lawsuit that accused NASCAR of running a monopoly.

Stewart had called the charter agreement a “joke” and, since he’s no longer in the system, he can finally say what he wants without worrying about getting fined.

From safety to racing quality to business decisions, Stewart has had enough. And while some people in the sport might still try to keep things polished and political, Smoke chooses honesty over everything.