Tony Stewart celebrates 25 years of Tony Stewart Racing (Courtesy: X/TSRnitro)
#25 in 25… Longtime Owner and Driver Continues to Write Motorsports
History Across Multiple Genres of the Sport
BROWNSBURG, Ind. – Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) an iconic
and trailblazing motorsports brand, is elated to announce that the 2025
racing season will be a celebration of its 25th season of full-time
competition in auto racing. Since its inception, TSR has remained at the
forefront of professional dirt-track racing and expanded the brand into
the NHRA professional drag racing divisions in its quarter century
foothold.
Owned by three-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion and the brand’s
namesake, Tony Stewart, TSR will field an entry in the World of Outlaws
(WoO) NOS Energy Sprint Car Series for 10-Time Series Champion, Donny
Schatz, and entries in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Top
Fuel and Funny Car divisions for Stewart and 4-Time Series champion,
Matt Hagan in 2025.
“It’s pretty remarkable to think that we’re 25 years into this now
it just seems like yesterday when Danny Lasoski and I had a conversation
about starting TSR and what it was going to look like… it literally
started with one World of Outlaws team,” said Stewart.
“When you look at what we’ve been able to accomplish since 2001 it
makes you stop, reflect, smile and think of all the great things that
we’ve been able to do as a group of talented drivers, crew members,
crew chiefs and great partners along the way… it’s just been a great
ride.”
TSR’s legacy had humble roots, as Stewart co-owned cars in the USAC
Silver Crown Series in the late 1990s with Bob East and the duo won 16
series feature events making the pairing one of the most potent in the
sport. As his NASCAR career took off in the 2000s, Stewart looked to
further give back to his roots in open-wheel racing and in November of
2000, TSR was forged. 2001 was TSR’s inaugural season, laying the
groundwork for the organization to grow into the powerhouse that it is
today.
As tenacious as Stewart is in the cockpit of a racecar, he’s proven
equally adept at providing cars and equipment for racing’s dirt-track
elite. In November 2000, Stewart formed Tony Stewart Racing (TSR), and
since its inaugural season in 2001, TSR has earned 27 owner
championships – 14 in USAC, nine in the World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint
Car Series and four in the All Star Circuit of Champions TQ Midgets
Series.
Operating out of a state-of-the-art 25,000- square-foot facility in
Brownsburg, Indiana, TSR campaigns a WoO team for ten-time series
champion Donny Schatz. Schatz earned TSR Sprint Car’s most recent
title when he scored the 2018 WoO Championship with a series-best 22
wins. One of those wins came in the prestigious Kings Royal event (TSR
Sprint Car owns six Kings Royal titles) at the legendary Eldora Speedway
in Rossburg, Ohio, which is also owned by Stewart.
Schatz has earned five Kings Royal titles driving for TSR, winning the
event in 2009, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2023. Steve Kinser earned the Kings
Royal title in 2010 for TSR. Additionally, TSR has 12 Knoxville
Nationals championships in the WoO. Danny Lasoski captured victories in
the famed winged Sprint Car event in 2001, 2003 and 2004, while Schatz
earned Knoxville Nationals wins for TSR in 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013,
2014, 2015, 2017 and 2022.
Nine different drivers have won a WoO Feature while in a TSR owned car.
That list includes Donny Schatz, Steve Kinser, Kraig Kinser, Danny
Lasoski, Paul McMahan, Kerry Madsen, Tony Stewart and Christopher Bell.
As of the completion of the 2024 WoO season, TSR’s WoO win total sits
at 330 and counting.
Twelve different drivers have won a USAC National Feature while in a TSR
owned car. That list includes Bobby East, Bryan Clauson, Cory Kruseman,
Dave Steele, J.J. Yeley, Jason Leffler, Jay Drake, Josh Wise, Kasey
Kahne, Levi Jones, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. & Tracy Hines. In total, TSR
accumulated 117 USAC National event Feature wins during its time in the
series. Chris Windom also piloted a TSR USAC entry, filling in for an
injured Jones in 2012.
“When you look at the impressive list of drivers that we’ve been
fortunate enough to have as part of TSR, it’s hard to believe that
we’ve accomplished everything that we have as an organization. When
you look at the stats it’s truly amazing,” said Stewart.
“I think we get so focused on everything that’s in front of you and
trying to get that next win, that next championship that you never stop
long enough to reflect on, look back at and appreciate the incredible
accomplishments we’ve had as an organization. Our entire resume has
been due to having great people as part of our team and looking ahead to
the future it’s very exciting.”
Heading into TSR’s 25th season, the organization will field a car for
Schatz and will compete full-time in the WoO Sprint Car Series which
boasts an ambitious 90+ race schedule. The team will compete in nearly
every region of the continental United States and will see the WoO
Sprint Car Series’ return to Canada in 2025 as Schatz and the Outlaws
will cross our northern border for a three-race stretch this coming May.
Tony Stewart Racing Nitro was formed in 2021, with 2022 marking the
team’s first season in competition. Matt Hagan pilots the Funny Car
and Tony Stewart took over driving duties in 2024 for wife Leah Pruett
in the Top Fuel dragster as they started a family. Pruett gave birth to
the couple’s first child, Dominic James Stewart during the season
finale in Pomona, California.
On the drag strip, TSR has earned 16 wins and one Funny Car championship
since its inception. Hagan has earned 13 victories for TSR (four in
2022, six in 2023, three in 2024), en route to his 2023 NHRA Funny Car
Championship. He has also earned NHRA Funny Car championships in 2011,
2014 and 2020. Pruett brought home three wins for the team (one in 2022,
two in 2023).
Making his Top Fuel debut in 2024, Stewart advanced to a pair of final
rounds, four semifinals, earned a position in the Countdown to the
Championship and finished ninth in Top Fuel points. At the NHRA Finals,
he had a career-best run of 3.688-seconds at 334.73-mph in his
11,000-horsepower dragster. Stewart earned the 2024 NHRA Rookie of the
Year title in an impressive field that included seven other NHRA
rookies. He finished second in the 2023 Top Alcohol Dragster
championship standings driving for McPhillips Racing.
“Racing and being an owner is something I’ve always enjoyed doing.
I’ve always enjoyed having a Sprint Car team. I’ve always enjoyed
dirt racing and then when I met Leah, I really gained a great
appreciation for Drag Racing,” said Stewart.
“There aren’t many organizations around that compete in two forms of
motorsports that couldn’t be more drastically different, but we’re
making it work. It’s a challenge, but we’ve always enjoyed a
challenge as a team… and the sky is the limit at this point.”
In celebration of Tony Stewart Racing’s 25th season, the Official Tony
Stewart Store is offering commemorative gear for purchase. To view the
merchandise selection, please visit the store online at
https://tonystewartstore.com/collections/tony-stewart-racing-25th-anniversary-1.
For more information regarding the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Sprint
Car Series, please visit https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/. To
learn more about the United States Auto Club (USAC) please visit
www.usacracing.com. For information regarding TSR’s Donny Schatz,
please visit www.DonnySchatz.com.
To learn more about the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, visit
www.nhra.com. For information regarding TSR’s NHRA program, visit
www.tsrnitro.com.