It takes a champion to know another, and Tony Stewart knows that all too well. It’s no secret that ‘Smoke’ has had a stellar season in Top Fuel. Just two months ago, at 54, Stewart added another achievement to his already decorated resume: he became the regular-season champion in his rookie full-time campaign in the NHRA season. But the most exciting news was when he announced that a dirt-track standout would be joining Tony Stewart Racing in 2026.

Rico Abreu is set to pilot the iconic No. 24 winged sprint car full-time in the Kubota High Limit Racing Series, but a few marquee US sprint car events are also on his radar. In a power move, Tony Stewart Racing is taking over the High Limit franchise of Abreu’s current team. But before all these major shifts happen, Abreu has been moving mountains, and he cannot help but reflect on his best season yet.

Rico Abreu leaves a heartfelt note to his team at the World Finals

Speaking to a reporter post-race, the 33-year-old driver couldn’t be prouder of his team. Abreu said, “Yeah, we did it with some really good people, with my best friends and my family. I’m just very fortunate to be in this position, racing with people that I love and I love to be around. We just got great team camaraderie. I mean, we have dinner together during the week, and we all just hang out. And it’s just a, we’re traveling circus out there with cool s—. But it’s definitely a memorable year. The years that I dreamed of as my career has developed here as a race car driver.”

Abreu entered the season as one of the top contenders in the high-limit sprint car series and did not disappoint. Over the course of the 2025 campaign, he compiled an impressive tally of victories, including his 12th win coming at a critical time, with the championship on the line. At the season finale, held at Texas Motor Speedway, the track in Fort Worth, Texas, during the ‘Bikini Zone all in championship weekend,’ Abreu entered with a narrow points advantage over rival Brad Sweet.

By winning both A-features on the final weekend, he sealed the driver championship for the first time in his career and collected the $250,000 champion’s bonus for his team.

Moreover, at the world finals at Charlotte in North Concord yesterday, the annual season-ending event for major dirt racing events, Rico Abreu finished first, second, and third over the three nights of the world finals. He finished the 2025 campaign with 21 wins across World of Outlaws, High Limit, and select 410/360 events, the most wins for any 410-class driver in the US that season. Now, he’s all set to head to Australia by the end of the year.

What made the achievement even more noteworthy was Rico’s consistency and ability to perform under pressure. He not only battled through a full national schedule of 51 races but also fended off one of the competitors in the field to come out on top. That’s exactly the type of talent Tony Stewart aimed to have in his team, and that all comes through next year.

Rico didn’t hold back; he added, “And two, just as believing, buying in on my vision of RAR and what I want it to be. And what I want it to be presented to the race fans and just Fortune 500 companies. And, you know, bringing them to a sport that I believe is the best sport of racing, motorsports, and racing. You know, just because of the excitement and just my genuine love for it. So, to win 21 races with these guys is, it’s big for me that they get to experience that success. And that’s why I make them the spotlight to it all. So, unbelievable season.”

It’s a very commendable achievement before joining forces with three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart’s team. This is a significant step for the 33-year-old driver, and now joins one of the most respected sprint car teams in the country, which means we can focus more on driving and less on the business and logistics behind the scenes. “Driving for Tony Stewart Racing is a dream come true,” said Rico when the news dropped.

But while Rico had an amazing season, one of Tony Stewart’s drivers had a lackluster performance at the world finals held on November 8.

Tony Stewart Racing’s Donny Schatz triggers a red flag at the World Finals

It was a rough finish for Donny Schatz. His night at the World Finals ended in a heartbreaking flip on the second restart, bringing about a red flag and putting him out of contention for the finale. While it was far from an ideal finish to his 2025 campaign, the 48-year-old can take positives from his season, even though it marks the end of an era for both Schatz and Tony Stewart.

The November 8, 2025, World Finals at the dirt track in Charlotte proved the rough finale to Schatz’s turbulent campaign. Just laps into the race, chaos erupted when his car flipped on the second restart attempt, triggering a red flag. Thankfully, Donny and other drivers walked away unhurt, but the incident ended his night prematurely, leaving him 26th in the final standings. Post-race, he said, “It’s possible we may have a winless season, but that’s just life, man. There’s worse things in the world. The future, what’s in front of me looks better than what’s behind me, so that’s all you can focus on.”

For the North Dakota native, the setback hardly overshadows his extraordinary career. With 10 World of Outlaws championships, eight of them under TSR, and over 315 feature wins, his dominance through the 2010s remains the stuff of legend. Between 2014 and 2018, he captured five straight titles and notched 11 Knoxville Nationals victories, securing his place among the sport’s greatest.

Even at 48, his legacy continues to grow. He sits third on the all-time World of Outlaws wins list, trailing Steve Kinser and Rico Abreu. While 2025 delivered its share of frustration, Schatz’s resilience and power-laden mindset suggest that he is far from done, still chasing speed, still writing new chapters in a career defined by endurance and excellence