West Fargo’s Donny Schatz replaced at Tony Stewart Racing

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (KFGO) – Minot native Donny Schatz is out at Tony Stewart Racing. Schatz has been replaced at Tony Stewart Racing, effective immediately.

In a statement issued by Inside Line Promotions, team owner Stewart said “the achievements we’ve accomplished together are something that I’ll always be proud of, but in the past few years we’ve weathered changes in the sport and our performance hasn’t been to the level that both Donny and I expect.

“We’re both competitors to our core and we both hold ourselves to a high standard of performance that we’ve struggled to obtain,” Stewart added. “Making a change now gives each of us the chance to reset and refocus before 2026,” said Stewart, while also giving thanks to Schatz’s incredible success since the two paired up in 2008.

Schatz had 234 World of Outlaws wins over an 18-year span. He has not won a race this year. He’s been replaced by Kerry Madsen.

“Donny has been an incredible part of TSR for nearly two decades, he’s helped build this organization into what it is today,” Stewart said. “We’ve had a driver-team owner relationship that has gone beyond that partnership, he’s become part of my extended family through the years, and I have the utmost respect for him and what his career represents a generational driving talent.”

Schatz’s 11th-place finish in Saturday’s Knoxville Nationals in Iowa from the 20th-starting spot marks his final race with TSR.

Madsen’s first race in the No. 15 is Friday at Ogilvie, Minnesota Raceway on the World of Outlaws Tour.

Schatz now lives in West Fargo. He turned 48 last Sunday.

The tour has stops scheduled at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks August 22 and Red River Speedway in West Fargo August 23.