Tony Stewart thinks Josh Harris buying stake in Joe Gibbs Racing is a 'great opportunity'

Tony Stewart completely understands why Joe Gibbs Racing sold a minority stake in the race team to new Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris earlier this week.

Stewart, the three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, called it a “great opportunity” while speaking recently with Dustin Long of NBC Sports.

“You think about what happens if Joe Gibbs goes away,” Stewart said. “What happens if Rick Hendrick goes away? Jack Roush goes away… Richard Childress. So you think about key people and owners in this series, what does the future hold?… It’s inevitable. We all start. We all finish at some point in this journey, but you want to see these great, iconic organizations continue, and I think it is a great opportunity.

“I think it’s foolish to sit there and say, no that’s not something you would consider at some point. I mean, if you have the ability and the confidence that your program can continue down the road, I don’t think you look [at it] that way… Think for some of these owners that are getting up there in age, they have plans and they’re making plans on when they’re gone, [so that] these organizations can maintain and stay a part of the sport.”

Harris made the purchase through Harris Blitzer Sports Entertainment (HBSE). Per The Athletic, HBSE will have no function in the day-to-day operations of Joe Gibbs Racing. The efforts will be more geared towards marketing, sales and business.

News of Harris’ minority stake in the NASCAR team comes shortly after purchasing the Commanders from the family of Dan Snyder for an expected $6 billion. In addition to the Commanders, Harris also owns the NHL’s New Jersey Devils and the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers.

Josh Harris excited to join ownership group of Joe Gibbs Racing

Harris addressed the purchase on his LinkedIn page — excited to be part of the growth of Joe Gibbs Racing.

“Today, I am thrilled to share that Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) and Arctos have made a significant investment in Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR). As part of the partnership, I’m also excited to welcome Joe Gibbs into the HBSE family as a limited partner,” Harris wrote. “Even before we met, Coach Gibbs was a presence in my life—first from afar as a young fan rooting him on as he coached the Washington Commanders to three Super Bowl wins and now, more recently, as a friend and advisor.

“From football to NASCAR, winning runs deep in Coach Gibbs’ blood, and so do family and faith. I look forward to helping further the culture of high performance and strong values that Coach Gibbs has built at JGR and being part of its growth in the future.”