Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Dallin Ballard · Gameday Chatter Mon, November 9, 2026 at 6:27 PM UTC · 3 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tony Stewart is not holding back his anger toward the people running NASCAR. The three-time Cup Series champion told Sportico that if he had the power for just one day, he would fire every single person in upper management. Stewart believes the current leaders have lost touch with the people who built the sport and the fans who paid to watch it. He argues that fresh eyes are needed to fix the mess, and he thinks the current crew cannot do the job.
The 55-year-old former driver and owner has a long history of speaking his mind. Back in 2013, he joined 20 other drivers to tell NASCAR leadership that the cars were wrong. The officials told the drivers they were mistaken and that the data proved otherwise. Just a few years later, Stewart retired from full-time driving. Now that he has stepped away from running Stewart-Haas Racing after the 2024 season, he is free to say exactly what he thinks about the direction of the sport. He told Sportico, according to Racing News , "I would fire all of the upper management, first day, right out of the gate."
Stewart feels the rules have become too hard to follow, even for someone who knows the game better than almost anyone. He admits that he has been out of the daily grind for two years and still struggles to understand everything. If a former champion cannot follow the logic, he asks, how can the average fan keep up? He says the sport has become so complicated that it pushes people away. The original fan base has walked away because the changes took their attention elsewhere. Stewart wants to bring those fans back by making the sport relatable again. He told the outlet, "Shot ourselves in our foot."
Some people in charge are trying to make a difference, but Stewart thinks their hands are tied. He believes their good ideas get blocked before they can run with them. Without that knowledge, the leaders cannot make the right calls to fix the issues. Stewart says the focus must be on reconnecting with the past while finding a way to move forward.
Stewart is not the only one demanding a change at the top. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has also urged NASCAR to look at the racecar design. He points out that the current Next Gen car looks more like a sports car than a stock car. The old concept used a mid-1960s Chevrolet Chevelle front clip and a pickup truck suspension in the rear. Teams spent decades refining that technology. Earnhardt Jr. wants to keep those general concepts but use new parts from specified manufacturers. He thinks this would save money and keep the connection to the roots of the sport.
Denny Hamlin is also calling for a deep dive into why Toyota teams have not won more championships. He observes that with only three titles in 20 years, the cars are too fast. Hamlin says the current situation feels like a slow bleed rather than a sudden death. He wants Toyota, JGR, Legacy, and 23XI to look at their internal processes. The manufacturer has won 221 Cup Series races but only three driver titles. Hamlin told the outlet, according to Racing News , "I think that it needs to be looked at personally, internally, with Toyota and JGR and Legacy and 23XI."
The NASCAR Cup Series finale is set for Sunday. Christopher Bell said he was very confident a Toyota driver would win the championship until the No. 5 car picked up performance in the Chase.
Source: Sports
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