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Tony Stewart has a simple fix for NASCAR if he were ever put in charge: clean house at the top.
The three-time Cup Series champion told Sportico that if he ran NASCAR, he would fire much of its upper management on his first day. He said the sport has drifted away from the fans who built it and needs to win them back.
“If I was president for a day, that would be one of the main focuses is getting that original fan base back and making it relatable like it used to be,” Stewart told Sportico.
‘Shot Ourselves in Our Foot’
Stewart said NASCAR has become too complicated, even for people who used to help run it. He has been away from the competition side of the sport for two years and said he still has trouble following some of the rules. If former drivers and owners struggle to keep up, he argued, longtime fans probably do too.
He was not critical of everyone in charge. Stewart said NASCAR has good people in leadership, but that they face too many obstacles to get their ideas in place. In his view, the sport has “shot ourselves in our foot” by overthinking the product and losing touch with its fans.
Stewart Isn’t Alone
Stewart is not the only big name pushing for change. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has questioned parts of the Next Gen car, which debuted in 2022, and has argued for a simpler approach that fits the sport’s roots.
Current drivers have raised questions about the championship format, too. Denny Hamlin has called the Chase format a “slow bleed” compared with the previous system. He has also pointed out that Toyota has won just three Cup titles in the last 20 years despite long stretches of strong speed.
Christopher Bell has taken a more measured view. He said he had been confident a Toyota driver would win this year’s title, but that Kyle Larson‘s No. 5 team got much better during the Chase. Bell has also said he enjoys the current format, which rewards winning races and running well over the full 10 weeks.
What Comes Next
The 2026 season ended Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway with Larson winning his third title. The 2027 season starts with the Clash at Daytona on Feb. 13.
Stewart’s call for firings is about as blunt as it gets. Whether NASCAR’s leadership changes course heading into 2027 remains to be seen.
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