The lack of stability can lead to a wide range of options. When Tony Stewart announced that his NASCAR Cup Series team would shut down in May 2024, a flux of changes got underway. Stewart-Haas Racing drivers like Ryan Preece were totally uncertain about their futures. Recently, a similar fate descended on another driver working for Stewart’s World of Outlaws team. However, the latter may have good opportunities on his plate.

After 18 years of working together, Tony Stewart cut ties with Donny Schatz last week. Leaving behind eight titles on the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series and nine victories at the Knoxville Nationals, the two are taking separate paths. And Schatz is undergoing a turbulent part of his career.

Another door opens for Tony Stewart’s rejected driver 

Just a day after Tony Stewart severed relations with Donny Schatz, the latter got an opportunity. Big Game Motorsports fielded the veteran racer in the No. 15 car for Friday’s race at Ogilvie Raceway in Minnesota. However, disaster struck, as Schatz tripped over the cushion and got upside down in Turn 1 at the start of the feature. When it was evident that the chassis was damaged beyond quick repair, another team threw the racer a lifeline for Saturday’s entry at Jackson Motorplex. That was Lunstra Motorsports, owned by Sioux Falls, S.D., car owner Dave Lunstra. Accordingly, Stewart’s rejected driver is undergoing another flux.

On Monday evening, the 48-year-old WoO veteran told FloRacing that his contract with Big Game would not work out. The initial plan was for the Tod Quiring-owned Big Game team to field Schatz as a teammate to David Gravel. Instead, Donny Schatz with Lunstra Motorsports through the end of August. Up next, Schatz will race on Tuesday at Mississippi Thunder Speedway in Fountain City, Wis., before returning to his home ground in North Dakota on Aug. 22 at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks and Aug. 23 at Red River Valley Speedway in West Fargo. As of now, his final stint with the Lunstra team will be at Huset’s Speedway in the L.G. Everist Huset’s Shootout.

Despite jumping ship, Tony Stewart‘s ex-driver is still relying on his initial team. Donny Schatz will still receive support from Quiring and his team, including sponsorship from ShopHusets.com. He said, “Tod Quiring’s still helping out, all them guys are helping us keep going. Tod and I we’ve been friends a long time. And I told him it was a bad idea to begin with, because if anything happens, it puts his guys in a bad spot if they try to keep going. And that’s exactly what happened. It’s just the way it works. It’s not their responsibility to come to my rescue, and with this going on, but they’ve been super incredible, and so has Dave Lunstra.”

Evidently, even after falling out with Tony Stewart, Donny Schatz is finding a way. He is even finding a new rapport with his team.

Nothing better than a solid team effort

In motorsports, a good race is the result of concerted efforts. From the driver to the tire changer, every member of a race team’s efforts go a long way toward clinching a good finish. That is what Donny Schatz experienced in his sudden and unexpected stint with Lunstra Motorsports. On Saturday’s World of Outlaws feature at Jackson, Schatz finished in 10th place. He felt he should’ve finished in the top six if not for a chaotic final restart. Despite this small regret, he was glad to have a hardworking team by his side. His race-day crew still consists of former TSR employee Brad Alexander and Stephen Hamm-Reilly.

Donny Schatz reflected on his performance on Saturday, boosted by his team’s sweating brows. “I want to be ready for anything, but you can’t say you’ll be ultimately prepared going through anything like this. It’s like the other night, I ran 10th, but I felt like I won the race because everybody busted their b—-. It took 20 people to get, like I said, what two should be able to do. And we qualified good. We made it into the dash, which I haven’t done very much this year.”

Clearly, Tony Stewart’s former employee is steadily finding his footing in this new situation. Despite the uncertainty, Donny Schatz is making the best of his opportunities.