When Rick Hendrick backed Tony Stewart to become “one of the greatest owners” in NASCAR

There was a time when Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports and the main man behind Hendrick Automotive Group, vouched for Tony Stewart. Stewart had joined forces with Gene Haas to form what later came to be known as Stewart-Haas Racing, one of the most well-known teams in the NASCAR Cup Series.

The year was 2009. Stewart had already won two championships and amassed 33 wins in NASCAR’s top tier. However, his team, Joe Gibbs Racing, had switched to Toyotas, and Stewart wanted to get back with the Chevy camp.

Therefore, Stewart purchased a 50% stake in what used to be Haas CNC Racing, and the team was rebranded as Stewart-Haas Racing. Notably, Hendrick Motorsports agreed to provide Stewart with their in-house machinery. Hendrick believed that Tony Stewart was going to become one of the greatest team owners in the sport.

“I think Tony is going to go down as one of the great owners in the sport," said Rick Hendrick in a 2009 interview (via autosport). "He's got a good partner with Gene Haas, Haas Automation. They've had the foundation. But he's bringing what they're missing.”

Tony Stewart chats with Rick Hendrick at Phoenix International Raceway in 2008- Source: Imagn

"What he's accomplished, you have to see people from where I've been for the last 25 years and watched them come and go. Money doesn't do it; it's dedication and determination. He's going to be one of the greatest owners in the sport 'cause that's all he wants to do and thinks about. That kind of dedication will get him to where he needs to be,” the automotive tycoon added.

In 2017, however, Stewart-Haas Racing partnered with Roush Yates Engines and switched to Fords. Starting that year, they also began building their chassis in-house. The Ford team registered a combined 105 wins and two Cup Series championships.

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What is Tony Stewart doing now?

Tony Stewart shut down his team at the end of the 2024 Cup season and put all his team’s charters up for sale, except for one. Gene Haas retained the team’s fourth charter and formed a new team called Haas Factory Team.

The team will field two cars in the Xfinity Series, the No. 41 driven by Sam Mayer and the No. 00 driven by Sheldon Creed. 2023 Xfinity Series champion and former Stewart-Haas Racing driver Cole Custer will pilot the No. 41 car in the Cup Series for the soon-to-debut Ford team.

Tony Stewart and his wife Leah Pruett have recently welcomed a baby boy to the world whom the couple lovingly named Dominic.

"I'm trying to find every and any way I can to get out of having to change diapers," Stewart said in an interview (via FOX) "But my wife is a very strong-willed woman, and she has assured me that I am not, under any circumstances, getting out of these responsibilities as a father and a parent.”

Besides his duties as a new dad, Stewart will drive his wife’s Top Fuel Dragster in the NHRA under the banner of Tony Stewart Racing for the second year in a row. Pruett will stay away from racing for now due to her responsibilities revolving around motherhood.