Dale Earnhardt Jr. worried about Tony Stewart's NASCAR future amid rumors of SHR potential exit

NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. expressed concern about the potential exit of fellow Hall of Famer Tony Stewart from the sport. A former three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, Stewart is reportedly selling his Cup team Stewart-Haas Racing.

Reports from The Athletic's Jordan Bianchi indicate that SHR might divest itself of all four charters ahead of the 2025 NASCAR season. That would signify the end of SHR’s participation in the Cup Series, a move that could have significant repercussions for the team's drivers and personnel, including Josh Berry, Noah Gragson, Chase Briscoe and Ryan Preece, not to mention the entire SHR crew.

NASCAR legend and former Daytona 500 winner Dale Earnhardt Jr., speaking on his podcast, delved into the financial impact of this sale. The 49-year-old noted how the value of NASCAR charters has fluctuated. He said:

"I heard that their range is $20 million to $30 million, for a charter. I know one sold for $40 million, but from everything that I’ve learned, the true value is not near $40 million. [1:12:52]

"So yeah, $20M to $25M is more in the ballpark of what I think they should be going for. The question is, will Stewart-Haas sell all four of them? Does Tony Stewart and [Gene] Haas get out entirely? Holy s***, that would be weird."

Dale Earnhardt Jr. emphasized Tony Stewart's status as a motorsports icon. He expressed hope that Stewart would remain involved in some capacity, stating:

"I don’t want to speculate. But I hope that Tony Stewart doesn’t leave NASCAR entirely. That would suck. I just think he’s an icon. He’s a motorsports icon. Done it all."

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. compares Tony Stewart to motorsport icon A.J. Foyt

Earnhardt Jr. drew a comparison between Stewart and IndyCar legend and seven-time American National Championship winner A.J. Foyt, highlighting Stewart's significance in the sport, saying:

"Even though he physically wants to spend a lot of time with his drag racing, and he’s a performer and drives and he’s still out there actively racing, I still love the idea of him having ownership in anything in our sport, because of his legacy. He’s an icon. He’s like A.J. Foyt."

Stressing his desire of Stewart's continued involvement with NASCAR, he added:

"So I hope that that’s not what happens. I hope that they don’t entirely remove themselves from the sport. We’ll see how that goes, man. That’s pretty crazy."

Tony Stewart won three NASCAR Cup Series titles through his career as a driver. His 2011 Cup victory came as a driver/owner of Stewart-Haas Racing. Stewart was inducted in the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2020.