“Missing the whole big picture”: Tony Stewart spares no mercy to 'joke’ NASCAR charter system

The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season has come to an end, and Tony Stewart's co-owned Stewart Haas Racing has downsized from a four-car team to a single car transitioning into Haas Factory Racing. Stewart expressed his views on the charter agreement, calling it a "joke."

The former NASCAR Cup Series driver was featured in an interview with Cars and Culture with Jason Stein, and opened up about his dissatisfaction with the current state of NASCAR, targeting the controversial charter agreements. Stewart has spent more than two decades in the sport and has experienced it as a driver and an owner.

Tony Stewart, known for his outspoken nature, told Stein that the charter agreements were a "joke" and said:

"The charter agreements are a joke. And if people aren’t smart enough to read between the lines – when someone like Rick Hendrick says, ‘I just got tired of arguing with them.’ Do you think Rick Hendrick runs his business and negotiations and just says, ‘I’m going to just sign this agreement because I’m tired of arguing with you.’"

Stewart gave an example of NASCAR's powerhouse Rick Hendrick getting tired. He mentioned that Hendrick signed the new charter agreement out of exhaustion, not enthusiasm. He concluded:

"If people aren’t smart enough to read between the lines and figure out what that means, then you’re all missing the whole big picture all by itself."

Tony Stewart told the host that he is an old-school guy when it comes to racing. As per him, he was not the sport he fell in love with, and doesn't want to be a part of it anymore.

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"It's easy to sit on your a**": Tony Stewart responds to backlash over SHR shutdown

Three-time Cup Series Champion Tony Stewart slammed online critics for criticizing his decision to shut down his team, Stewart Haas Racing. The owners, Gene Haas and Stewart announced earlier this year that they would cease their operations after the 2024 season.

After parting ways with Joe Gibbs Racing, Stewart joined Haas CNC Racing as a driver and co-owner for the 2009 season, rebadging it to Stewart Haas Racing. Since he joined SHR, the team has reached new heights and etched its name in sports history.

Stewart Haas Racing has bagged two Cup Series titles since Stewart joined. The first title came in 2011, making it Stewart's third title, and the second came in 2014 from NASCAR legend Kevin Harvick. However, after Harvick retired, big sponsors stopped investing in the team, which led to the shutdown of Stewart Haas Racing.

However, fans were not in favor of the decision and bashed Tony Stewart for shutting down the team. He didn't hold back either and responded to the criticism:

"The bashing I got online and on social media was very unjust through the process. It's easy to sit on your a**, on a chair, on your couch in your mom's house and sit there and tell us how we're doing it wrong. But nobody can seem to sit there and come in on Monday morning and tell us how to do it right," Stewart said via Fox Sports."

Gene Haas retained one Cup Series Charter for the upcoming 2025 season, and former Xfinity Series Champion Cole Custer will be the driver behind the wheel.