Few figures understand NASCAR from both the driver’s seat and the ownership side the way Tony Stewart does. But despite that experience, Stewart made it clear he has no interest in taking on an official role within NASCAR. The reason traces back to a meeting more than a decade ago that he says permanently changed how he views the organization.

Tony Stewart explains the meeting that changed everything

“I’m going to say no, and there’s a reason for it,” Stewart said on the Rubbin’ is Racin’ podcast. Back in 2015, Stewart had come out as one of the strongest drivers and team owners on the Cup Series field. But as it has always been, there were some issues that the drivers faced with the product, including the overall racing.

A group of roughly 20 drivers, representing multiple manufacturers, brought their concerns directly to NASCAR leadership in a unified meeting. According to Stewart, that meeting quickly broke down.

“We were all united, we picked five things that we said we thought would make it better. And literally went into a meeting with all the bigwigs at NASCAR and presented that to them. And they basically shot down all five things that we said. And basically acted like none of us knew what the hell we were talking about,” Stewart added.

Stewart did not publicly detail the five proposed changes, but he made it clear the response from NASCAR left a lasting impression. That meeting, he said, directly influenced what came next. “That was the moment when I left that meeting, that is the moment that I decided that I was working on a retirement plan […] There’s no point in working with these guys. So, even if they put something together now, there’s a group of drivers that would be more than happy to do that. I am just not one of them.”

Stewart was representing both himself as a driver and his organization as a team owner at the time. One year later, he retired from full-time NASCAR Cup competition at the end of the 2016 season and has not returned as a driver.

Stewart’s frustration reflected a broader sentiment among drivers during that era, when many felt their feedback on competition and car design was not fully considered. That dynamic has shifted in recent years, with NASCAR taking a more collaborative approach when addressing competition issues, including feedback on the Next Gen car introduced in 2022.

How is NASCAR now involving drivers in major decisions?

After long-time criticism, NASCAR announced last year that it would change the championship format and get rid of the elimination-style playoff format. This time around, however, they made sure to take some expert advice.

The likes of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mark Martin were called to preview the changes to the format. Of course, the return of the Chase format was announced with minor tweaks, but it was met with huge positivity from the fans. At the end of the day, it seemed that the drivers’ assistance helped in creating a better product.

But it doesn’t end there. Right after the Wurth 400 at the Talladega Superspeedway earlier, Denny Hamlin called out the small changes the authorities made in an attempt to make the racing more exciting (by flipping the race stages). However, that didn’t work very well. The JGR driver then got in contact with CEO Steve O’Donnell, who then included him in the team that is currently deciding on the changes that need to be made to the current generation of cars to improve the overall racing experience.

So, as it appears, NASCAR is no longer the organization that it was a decade ago. Times have changed, and new folks now operate as the executives. However, there still doesn’t seem to be a chance that Tony Stewart returns, as he straightaway mentioned. Moreover, he is having a good time racing in the NHRA.