“He knows what to do”: When Tony Stewart delivered his take on Roger Penske’s IndyCar ownership

Former IndyCar champion Tony Stewart once offered his viewpoint on Roger Penske's acquisition of the NTT IndyCar Series. Penske acquired IndyCar in 2020.

A multi-time champion across various motorsport disciplines, Stewart has earned success both as a driver and a team owner. The 53-year-old, who was the former owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, remains one of the most brilliant minds of the sport.

Stewart, in an interview with Motorsport.com in August 2020, spoke in detail about the ownership of IndyCar by racing mogul Roger Penske in 2020. Penske, through his company Penske Corporation, acquired the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the NTT IndyCar Series, and IMS Productions.

Penske’s acquisition of IndyCar came at a challenging time. Shortly after finalizing the purchase, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the world, forcing major adjustments across all sports, including racing. Yet, Stewart expressed confidence in Penske’s ability to get past these challenges. He said:

"Can you imagine sitting there having made a major purchase like this and the first year you have a natural disaster happen for the most part to deal with? From the outside looking in, if you had to have a year like this, you couldn’t ask to have a better guy steering the ship than Roger. He’s smart, he knows what to do. I think he’s made the best of the situation he was dealt and done the right thing and made the right decisions to make all the events happen so far."

Penske also noted:

"There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Roger will be a great steward of the track and the series. He’s not 100-percent but 1000-percent the right guy. His history speaks for itself. You look at what he’s done in motorsports and what he’s done in the business world. He is absolutely the perfect guy to do this right now."

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Tony Stewart not driving for him in Indy 500 remains Roger Penske's "only disappointment"

Despite winning the IndyCar championship once in his career, Tony Stewart could never topple the challenge of the iconic Indianapolis 500 race. Stewart's most notable performance at the venue came in 2001, where he, alongside finishing a career-best sixth, also became the only driver to complete the "double."

However, the 2001 Indy 500 was also the last of his career. As he moved on to pursue a career full-time in NASCAR, the Columbus, Indiana native never returned to IndyCar. Stewart was notably offered the opportunity to compete in the event in 2012 by none other than Roger Penske, one he had to decline in order to cater to his NASCAR commitments.

When Tony Stewart announced his retirement from full-time racing in 2016, Roger Penske was the first to express his disappointment over this missed opportunity. Speaking to FOX Sports shortly after the announcement, Penske lamented on the same, stating:

"The only disappointment I have is that he never took me up on a ride at Indy. He is a true racer, true grit, and he tells it as it is."

Tony Stewart owned Stewart-Haas Racing up until 2024, going head-to-head against Roger Penske's Team Penske in NASCAR.