Tony Stewart may have become a household name thanks to his accomplishments in the NASCAR Cup Series, but since his retirement from the sport in 2016, the three-time Cup champion has been involved in a number of motorsports-based enterprises.
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On top of owning two racing series — the All-Star Circuit of Champions and the Superstar Racing Experience — Stewart also owns Eldora Speedway in Ohio and drives full-time in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. Of course, most NASCAR fans know Stewart nowadays as the co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, but his participation in other racing endeavors have led many to question his commitment to NASCAR, particularly as it relates to the SHR team.
Stewart recently went on Dale Earnhardt Jr's podcast The Dale Jr. Download and made it very clear where his mind is at regarding all of the tasks he has on his plate. Priority No. 1 for Tony? His wife, NHRA racer Leah Pruett.
"All the time you're like, 'Ahh, he doesn't care about NASCAR anymore, he doesn't care about sprint car racing anymore.' It's the farthest thing from the truth," Stewart said. "I love our race teams, I'm still passionate about our race teams. But I get to go race with my wife on the weekends, so sorry, I may not be at the track on the weekend, but that doesn't mean I don't care about what's going on, it doesn't mean I'm not involved in what's going on."
Clearly, Stewart has heard all of the talk about him seeming not to care about not caring about NASCAR since joining the NHRA full-time. That apparently doesn't bother him. Stewart-Haas Racing has plenty of uncertainty, with question marks about the recent struggles for the team since NASCAR went to the Next Gen car. That's in addition to the forthcoming retirement of the team's top driver, Kevin Harvick.
No matter what happens, just because Tony isn't at the track every week doesn't mean he isn't involved or doesn't care. Stewart is a NASCAR Hall of Famer and, honestly, should be free to do whatever he wants — especially if it is something he gets to do with his wife.
