Donny Schatz lands an interim seat with Sprint Car giants after leaving Tony Stewart Racing

Tony Stewart Racing’s former driver, Donny Schatz, is set to reappear in the World of Outlaws Sprint Car series under a different banner. The 48-year-old veteran is scheduled to race in seven races for Big Game Motorsports.

On August 12, Donny Schatz, who was unexpectedly fired by Tony Stewart Racing, where he had been for the last 18 years, got a new ride fast enough to compete in the upcoming World of Outlaws Sprint Car appearances. Less than a day after leaving TSR, Big Game Motorsports revealed the addition of Schatz to their team to race the following seven WoO races in his familiar No.15, with the defending series champion David Gravel as a teammate.

Schatz's stint with Big Game Motorsports begins with the Big O Showdown at Ogilvie Raceway, followed by competitions at Jackson Motorplex and Mississippi Thunder Speedway, before returning to his home state of North Dakota for races.

He is scheduled to wind things down to a two-race weekend at Huset’s Speedway to close out August. The move comes amid ongoing changes and resets in the World of Outlaws paddock, following Kerry Madsen’s move to TSR after Donny Schatz’s exit.

Big Game Motorsports' owner Tod Quiring spoke on the addition (via FloRacing):

“Donny has produced a storied career with his 10 World of Outlaws championships and more than 300 World of Outlaws wins. He is also known as one of the cleanest race car drivers in the history of the sport and he does a tremendous job of taking care of equipment. All of that combined with the support from our crew and driver, David Gravel, made it an easy decision to create this second team while the World of Outlaws are racing close to our shop the rest of August.”

Big Game Motorsports is a high-profile organisation with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series, headquartered in Brandon, South Dakota. Their crew has been a championship-winning driver with the entry of the No. 2 car. David Gravel brought the team their first series championship in 2024 with 15 feature wins, 33 podiums, and a 4.88 average finish. With motorsports ties rooted back to his childhood days at Jackson Motorplex, Tod Quiring has gradually turned Big Game into nearly an accredited powerhouse.

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Tony Stewart reflects on ‘hard decision’ after ending an 18-year partnership with Donny Schatz

Tony Stewart Racing and Donny Schatz ended their iconic partnership after 18 years, a split announced just days after Schatz's final race with the team at the Knoxville Nationals in August 2025. The decision followed a period of persistent underperformance, despite exhaustive attempts to improve results through changes in crew chiefs, motor programs, and technical setups.

Stewart openly admitted to a sense of frustration and that, despite their best efforts, the team was unable to return to its championship-winning form. While speaking to James McFadden for Flo Racing, Stewart emphasized:

“I don't think Donny was happy to get the phone call (Tuesday) morning about it, but I don't think anybody really does, especially when you've had success with each other.”

Stewart also noted Donny Schatz’s contributions were instrumental in shaping TSR’s success and described their driver-owner relationship as having evolved into a family-like bond over the years.