Did Tony Stewart quit racing? A look into his life after NASCAR exit

After 16 years of the adrenaline rush of racing on the tracks, Tony Stewart decided to finally step on the breaks. At the end of 2024, he announced to quit professional racing and even shared that he was having a good time.

He said, via Racing America:

“What was supposed to free my schedule up has gone in the opposite direction. I’m literally busier than I’ve ever been, but I’m busy doing things I really enjoy doing.”

As for Stewart, racing had become less about the sport and more about chasing endorsements and that was what convinced him to quit. He had lost interest in competing in NASCAR tournaments and had other priorities he wanted to focus on.

Stewart also departed from being a team owner of Stewart-Haas Racing in the NASCAR series, as he was unsatisfied with the current leadership of the administration. He wants to cut ties with NASCAR and recalibrate his future decisions.

Stewart still surrounds himself with the racing environment by hosting events like the Superstar Racing Experience. It is a short-track racing series that showcases local race car drivers across the country. Its main goal is to highlight new talent and encourage people to get more engaged with race car driving.

Still committed to motorsport as a passion, Stewart competed in The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) in 2022. He started to gain interest in drag racing through his wife, who had encouraged him to participate. This caused increased press coverage of the event and he achieved his first win in the tournament a year later, proving his versatility.

The decision to retire also gave him more time for his personal life. In 2023, he welcomed his first child with his wife Leah Pruett. This helped him put time aside for his family, making sure that his business and personal duties were equally balanced.

Tony Stewart has made a brilliant move on his legacy after retiring. He has turned from being a race car championship driver to having a multi-faceted career in other racing-related ventures that can benefit him for an even longer period of time.

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The story behind how Tony Stewart earned the title "Smoke"

NHRA: Ford Performance Nationals - Source: Imagn

In his early racing days, Tony Stewart was known for his aggressive and dramatic style of driving. It physically used to leave a trail of tire smoke on the track. Therefore many of his racing pals started calling him "Smoke".

This name formed Stewart's legacy and also reflected his attitude and demeanor on the race tracks. He seemed like a force to be reckoned with because of his competitiveness and fiery abilities. He embraced the nickname as it perfectly summed up his prowess in every tournament.

Tony Stewart has even capitalized off his popular nickname by turning it into merch for his fans.