If Tony Stewart and NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell were in the same room, there would not be much of a conversation.
With their past grievances that were aired out in a courtroom last December, “Smoke” would not have much to say to NASCAR’s Chief Executive.
There would not be words, only fists.
“If I saw O’Donnell now, we’d be in a fistfight, for sure, and that’s because of what they did to me in the past,” Stewart said via Door Bumper Clear.
While the three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion gave props to O’Donnell for his latest NASCAR efforts, Stewart is not over the beef and revealed a stunning text message he received from the CEO during the latest episode of DBC.
The bad blood between Stewart, O’Donnell
During the legal battle between NASCAR and Cup Series teams 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports over charter agreements, text messages written by O’Donnell came to light.
O’Donnell was critical of Stewart’s Superstar Racing Experience, a series he owned that operated from 2021-2023. The NASCAR CEO expressed frustrations in the texts regarding Cup Series drivers and owners racing in Stewart’s series, believing it was a rival competitor.
One text from O’Donnell, in frustration of Cup Series driver and team owner Denny Hamlin announcing his intentions to race in SRX, read:
“Oh great, another owner racing in SRX.”
O’Donnell also testified in court last December about the SRX.
“I thought this looked more and more like NASCAR. … I was concerned with what was happening on the racetrack,” O’Donnell said.
The trial between the Cup teams and NASCAR was ultimately settled.
A few months later, when Stewart returned for a one-off race in the Craftsman Truck Series at Daytona last February, he was asked if he had seen O’Donnell since arriving to the 2.5-mile and if he would like to.
“I have not had that pleasure yet. … I’m going to do my deal. If I run into Steve O’Donnell, then he’ll have to deal with that part. I’m gonna go do me and I don’t really care what he does this week,” Stewart said.
Stewart reveals text from O’Donnell on Christmas morning
On Christmas morning last year, exactly two weeks after the NASCAR lawsuit was settled, Stewart received quite the text message.
“Steve O’Donnell sent me a text message on Christmas morning last year. We haven’t spoken for a long time and it wasn’t, ‘Hey, just want to say sorry about the past but, hey, if we can put this behind us, maybe we can work together.’ He goes, ‘Oh, Merry Christmas. This and that. We’re trying to get the needle moving in the right direction, you think we could get together?’”
With everything that had just aired out in a North Carolina courtroom, Stewart did not take kindly to O’Donnell’s Christmas message.
The 49-time Cup Series winner resented O’Donnell’s proposition and has no intentions of a working relationship with NASCAR’s CEO in the future.
“I’m like you can’t even say sorry yet and you want my help now? Piss off. I’m not ever going to help him,” Stewart said.
Stewart applauds O’Donnell for role as NASCAR CEO: ‘He geniunely cares’
Personal beef aside, Stewart was able to commend O’Donnell on the current job he is doing as CEO.
NASCAR has undergone many changes since O’Donnell took over, most notably a return to the Chase points format. Although Stewart has his own personal gripes with the Chief Executive, he believes O’Donnell is making an effort to grow the sport with good intentions.
“I do think he’s making a difference now and I do think he’s trying. I genuinely think he’s making a genuine effort to try and make it better and not because of an ego; I think he genuinely cares about it,” Stewart said.
Stewart is set to return to NASCAR next month when he pilots the No. 25 Kaulig Racing Ram in the Craftsman Truck Series race at Talladega. He previously fielded the truck at Daytona but a crash ended his race early.
“We’d Be in a Fistfight’: Tony Stewart’s Tell-All of NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell