#25in25… Longtime Owner and Driver Continues to Write Motorsports History Across Multiple Genres of the Sport
By: TSR
BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Dec. 11, 2024) – 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.
About Tony Stewart Racing Sprint Car
Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) is the multi-title winning sprint car team owned by three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart. Since its inception in 2001, the organization has captured 27 owners’ titles – 14 in USAC, nine in the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Sprint Car Series, and six in the All Star Circuit of Champions TQ Midget Racing Series. From its headquarters in Brownsburg, Indiana, TSR fields the No. 15 sprint car for 10-time World of Outlaws champion Donny Schatz on the full World of Outlaws schedule, as well as in other select sprint car races throughout the United States. For more information, please visit us on the Web at www.TonyStewartRacing.com and on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.
About Tony Stewart Racing Nitro
Headquartered in Brownsburg, Indiana, Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Nitro fields two entries in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. After more than four decades of racing around in circles, Tony Stewart embarked on a straight and narrow path, albeit more than 300 mph. The championship-winning racecar driver who has successfully transitioned to being a championship-winner team owner, formed the TSR nitro team 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 start a family. Hagan is a four-time Funny Car champion (2011, 2014, 2020 and 2023) from Christiansburg, Virginia. Stewart hails from Columbus, Indiana and earned the 2024 NHRA Rookie of the Year title. He finished second in the 2023 Top Alcohol Dragster championship standings.
-TSR-
