"I felt like I’d been mule-kicked in the gut": When Tony Stewart pulled Eldora from NASCAR after feeling blindsided

When Tony Stewart walked away from NASCAR's Truck Series partnership at Eldora in 2021, it wasn't NASCAR's call; it was his. Amid a deeply personal turning point in his life, Stewart found himself disillusioned with the sport he helped build.

While happily settling into a relationship with drag racer Leah Pruett, he also dealt with growing frustration over NASCAR's lack of communication regarding dirt racing and Stewart-Haas Racing's failed pursuit of Kyle Larson. Stewart had introduced dirt to NASCAR's national series through Eldora and long hoped it would pave the way for Xfinity and Cup Series races at the famed Ohio dirt track.

Ty Dillon before the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Mudsummer Classic practice at Eldora Speedway. Source: Getty

But just days before the 2021 schedule was released, he learned second-hand that Bristol would host NASCAR's inaugural Cup dirt race instead. Feeling blindsided and snubbed, Stewart tore up the Eldora Truck deal and cut ties.

"I felt like I'd been mule-kicked in the gut... This was entirely our decision. People need to understand that. I am extremely frustrated as a track owner that there was zero communication from NASCAR. Nobody ever had any conversation with me about Eldora or Cup on dirt until the deal with Bristol was about to be announced," Stewart told AP's Jenna Fryer.

That was just one of several sore points. Tony Stewart also couldn't obtain corporate approval to sign Kyle Larson for SHR after his 2020 suspension.

Larson was suspended for using a racial slur and mandated to undergo sensitivity training. He later signed with Hendrick Motorsports and won the 2021 Cup Series championship, as Stewart was left to rue his chances. But, perhaps losing the dirt hurt him more.

Tony Stewart celebrates after winning the 2021 Camping World Superstar Racing Experience event at Eldora Speedway. Source: Getty

He'd made multiple investments on the track and its facilities during its eight-year reign, turning it into one of the most popular tracks in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Public criticism followed, and whispers from the sprint car community stung. Stewart understood the business side, but the silence from NASCAR on both matters struck a nerve.

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"My personal life is the best it's ever been": When Tony Stewart met Leah Pruett

NHRA top fuel driver Leah Pruett (R) with fiancee Tony Stewart after winning the 2021 Winternationals at Pomona. Source: Imagn

Tony Stewart's post-Cup career was already thriving in 2021. He owned Eldora, Paducah, Macon, a World of Outlaws team, and the All-Star Circuit of Champions and was prepping to launch the SRX series with Ray Evernham. Yet rumors swirled that NASCAR had dropped Eldora out of spite for SRX.

"If people are worried about Ray Evernham, me and six races, they've got bigger things to worry about," Stewart mentioned in the same interview.

The 2021 season was also a new personal chapter. Stewart met Leah Pruett just before the COVID lockdowns, then spent four months with her in Lake Havasu, shifting from a career-first lifestyle to learning drag racing and supporting her career. He even enrolled in Frank Hawley's Drag Racing School to better understand her world.

"My personal life is the best it's ever been, by far. She gets me. And I enjoy going to her events and being the one doing the supporting. I mean, if she wanted me to support her at basket-weaving competitions I probably wouldn't enjoy it, but I am very happy with this relationship and where my life is right now," Stewart added.

From feeling overlooked by NASCAR to becoming a full-time motorsports mogul and part-time drag racing partner, 2021 was a year of pivot, pride, and a little pain for Tony Stewart.

Tony Stewart celebrates with wife Leah Pruett and son Dominic Stewart after winning the NHRA Four Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Source: Imagn

Four years later, they are parents to a six-month-old boy and are going through a successful NHRA season as Stewart leads the standings, nine races in.