One of the most successful partnerships in Sprint Car racing has come to an abrupt halt. Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) has parted ways with Donny Schatz, a ten-time World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series champion, after 18 years. The move, announced on Tuesday, 12th August, ends a remarkable era that produced ten World of Outcasts titles and nine Knoxville Nationals victories, and it has left fans questioning the wisdom behind Stewart’s decision.

The immediate aftermath has been a mix of disbelief and frustration. Just days before the announcement, Donny Schatz’s was in his now last race with Tony Stewart Racing at the 64th Knoxville Nationals at Knoxville Raceway, which concluded on August 9, 2025. Stewart confirmed Kerry Madsen will take over the team’s iconic No. 15 through the end of 2025, with an interim driver filling in later this month. While Stewart cited recent performance struggles and the need for a “reset,” many believe Schatz’s departure mid-season is an unnecessary fracture in one of dirt racing’s defining alliances. “Donny has been an incredible part of TSR for nearly two decades, he’s helped build this organization into what it is today,” Stewart said about the 48-year-old Sprint legend.

Schatz’s record speaks volumes: 234 WoO wins with TSR, 27 consecutive Knoxville Nationals A-main appearances, and a reputation as one of the most consistent and resilient drivers in the sport. Even in his final outing for TSR at the Knoxville Nationals, he clawed his way up from the B-main to finish 11th in the A-main. His departure marks a rare instance of a team-owner relationship, long celebrated for its mutual respect and familial bond, ending on a note of uncertainty.

This decision also follows a broader pattern for Stewart, whose racing ventures have undergone significant shifts in recent years. TSR’s direction has drawn comparisons to the trajectory of Stewart-Haas Racing in NASCAR, where performance dips and major shakeups have become more frequent. As Stewart turns more attention toward drag racing, fans are left wondering if sprint cars remain a true priority and whether this move signals deeper changes ahead.

Tony Stewart sparks fan outrage after dropping Sprint Car legend

For many long-time followers, the move feels like a serious miscalculation. Naturally, the fans erupted on X. One fan pointed to the way Stewart-Haas Racing in NASCAR declined when Stewart’s attention shifted elsewhere. They believe TSR’s sprint car team has suffered the same fate, and that swapping drivers won’t magically fix the car’s lack of speed. “Donny will land on his feet and Tony will get a rude awakening when the 15 is still slow with Kerry. TSR has been going the same direction as SHR did ever since Leah came around and Tony decided to get into drag racing. Just a shame it ended like this.” Donny Schatz’s career is the kind of résumé that makes other drivers jealous. He’s third on the all-time World of Outlaws win list with 316 victories, holds 10 WoO championships, and has claimed 11 Knoxville Nationals titles.

When a team is underperforming, the obvious question is: is it the driver or the car? In TSR’s case, critics say the answer is clear. Schatz has spent most of 2025 dragging an inconsistent car into respectable finishes, but it’s often looked unsettled on track, especially in qualifying and on slick surfaces where balance is critical. This frustration came out in one comment: “Seems like the logical thing to do. Fire your driver but ignore that the car looks like shit and unbalanced almost every night.”

Some criticism was blunt and personal. “Just add this to the list of stupid things Tony has done,” one frustrated follower wrote, adding fuel to the perception that Stewart’s leadership choices have occasionally backfired. Historical examples include controversial team changes and abrupt shifts in focus between racing disciplines, each drawing scrutiny from the fan base. In NASCAR, Stewart-Haas Racing hasn’t produced the same results in recent years, and in sprint cars, cutting ties mid-season with a driver who has 234 WoO wins for your team is a high-risk gamble. Fans see Schatz as the cornerstone of TSR’s success, and removing that cornerstone without first fixing the wider structure could be a repeat of past mistakes.

Few driver-owner partnerships in motorsport history match the longevity and success of Schatz and Stewart. Together, they’ve claimed eight WoO championships and nine Knoxville Nationals victories under the TSR banner, building one of the most dominant legacies in sprint car racing. That’s why the reaction from one supporter was so sharp: “Pretty shady that didn’t even let Donny finish season after giving them countless wins, championships, Knoxville Nationals titles. For all we know TSR closing the sprint car shop for good at the end of 25’.”

Fans feel a mid-season split robs Schatz of a proper send-off and hints at deeper issues. Stewart’s growing investment in NHRA drag racing, along with this abrupt change, fuels speculation that TSR could scale back or even shut down its sprint car program after 2025.

In the end, Donny Schatz’s split from Tony Stewart Racing has sparked a pointed debate about loyalty, performance, and the shifting priorities within modern motorsport. Whether this was a calculated step toward improvement or a costly misstep, the coming months will reveal if Stewart’s gamble pays off, or if fans’ warnings prove prophetic.