After nearly two decades together, Tony Stewart Racing and Donny Schatz have ended their collaboration, marking the conclusion of one of sprint car racing’s most accomplished partnerships. Throughout their 18 years, Schatz and Stewart’s team secured eight World of Outlaws titles and nine Knoxville Nationals victories, establishing a legendary legacy in the sport. The announcement of their split stunned many fans and insiders alike.
Tony Stewart, a former NASCAR Cup Series champion and owner of Tony Stewart Racing, discussed the reasons behind the split during an appearance on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s NASCAR podcast. Stewart revealed that despite his initial wish for Schatz to retire while driving for TSR, changing circumstances forced a decisive break. Kerry Madsen has been named as Schatz’s replacement for the remainder of the 2025 season.
“My goal was to ultimately…at the end of the day, I wanted Donny Schatz to retire as a sprint car driver driving a TSR car,” Tony Stewart explained. “Really, in the sport of sprint car racing, we probably have the longest relationship of any full-time team right now…but it just comes to a point where things cycle through and decisions are made along the way, and the variables in the equation change, and finally it just got down a path that we couldn’t recover from.”
“You have to make that tough decision. I all honesty, I probably should have done it two years ago for the sake of our people,” he added.
Schatz’s Final Race with TSR and Kerry Madsen’s Return
Donny Schatz’s final outing with Tony Stewart Racing took place at the recent Knoxville Nationals. Starting in 20th position, Schatz managed to finish in 11th place after advancing 17 spots in qualifying through Friday’s Hard Knox Night and Saturday’s B-main heats. This performance marked his 27th consecutive appearance in the Knoxville Nationals A-main since 1998. Schatz has not yet announced his future plans post-TSR.
Kerry Madsen will take over driving duties for the No. 14 car starting September 19 at Ogilvie Raceway in Minnesota during the 2025 World of Outlaws tour. Madsen previously competed for TSR in 2021, accruing six victories, including three in World of Outlaws events. Currently competing for the track title at Knoxville Raceway with VerMeer Madisen Racing, Madsen will not participate in WoO races on August 22-23 in North Dakota, leading TSR to appoint an interim driver for those events.
“Kerry’s been in our car before and is a proven winner, so bringing him back feels natural,” Stewart said in another release. “He knows our team, we know his capabilities, and I’m confident he’ll give us everything he’s got as we close out the season.”
Rico Abreu and Ricky Warner Joining Forces with Tony Stewart Racing in 2026
Looking ahead to the 2026 season, Tony Stewart Racing is set to strengthen its lineup by partnering with Rico Abreu, the 2014 USAC National Midget Series champion. Abreu plans to merge his family-owned No. 24 team with Stewart’s operation once the current season concludes. This development introduces the iconic No. 24 number into TSR’s stable, which previously only included the numbers 14, 15, and 20.
In addition to Abreu, former TSR crew chief Ricky Warner will rejoin the team. Warner was instrumental in guiding Donny Schatz to 264 wins, 10 World of Outlaws titles, and 10 Knoxville Nationals championships during his tenure.
“I see it as tying myself to a top-tier establishment. Like, I don’t know if you find anything bigger or better than Tony Stewart Racing in our industry,” Abreu told FloRacing. “If you really break it all down, resource-wise, when it comes to data and dissecting Sprint Cars on the mechanical side and infrastructure internally, like, I can’t provide my team with what he has built over 25 years.”
Tony Stewart’s Focus Shifts as Leah Pruett Returns to NHRA Driving Duties
Alongside these changes, Tony Stewart announced that he will not be driving full-time in the NHRA Top Fuel division next season. Instead, his wife, Leah Pruett, will resume her role as driver, returning after a hiatus due to motherhood. This shift highlights the evolving priorities within Stewart’s racing involvement and the team’s overall direction.
.@TonyStewart addresses the split from Donny Schatz. ⬅️➡️@DaleJr | @TonyStewart_Rcg pic.twitter.com/3p5GHeXhlf
— Dirty Mo Media (@DirtyMoMedia) September 17, 2025
