From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Tony Stewart made an impact.
Tony Stewart, nicknamed "Smoke", is a semi-retired American professional stock car racing driver and former NASCAR team co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing. He is a four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, winning two as a driver, one as owner/driver in 2011, and one as an owner in 2014. He currently competes in the NHRA.
In 1966, James Hylton finished 2nd as a first-timer.
In 1979, Tony Stewart got his first competitive go kart in Westport, Indiana, marking the beginning of his racing career.
In 1980, Tony Stewart won his first championship, signaling his early success in racing.
In 1987, Davey Allison set a series record for wins by a rookie.
In 1987, Tony Stewart won a World Karting Association championship, demonstrating his skill in go-kart racing.
In 1991, Tony Stewart began racing at Eldora Speedway and continues to participate in special events there.
In 1991, Tony Stewart moved up to the United Midget Racing Association (UMRA) and then to the United States Auto Club (USAC) series, becoming the USAC Rookie of the Year.
In 1992, Alan Kulwicki was the last driver/owner to win the championship before Tony Stewart in 2011.
In 1994, Tony Stewart was the USAC National Midget Series Champion.
In 1995, Tony Stewart became the first driver to claim all three United States Auto Club National championships in a single season, becoming a USAC Triple Crown Champion.
In 1996, Tony Stewart competed part-time during the NASCAR Busch Series season with the team.
In 1996, Tony Stewart initially qualified on the outside of the front row for his Indianapolis 500 debut, later propelled to the pole position. He also made his NASCAR Busch Series debut, driving for car owner Harry Rainer, and had a one-time ride in the Truck Series with Mueller Brothers Racing, finishing 10th.
Tony Stewart continued to improve his IRL standing in the 1996-97 season, struggling to finish early, but recovering to come in second at Phoenix.
After competing part-time during the 1996 NASCAR Busch Series season with the team, in 1997, Tony Stewart had planned to move up to the Winston Cup Series driving for Ranier-Walsh Racing; however the deal fell through when Stewart decided he was not yet ready for the move.
In 1997, Tony Stewart got his first career win at Pikes Peak, where he led all but seven laps of a 200 lap race and beat Davey Hamilton for the IRL title.
In 1997 and 1998 Tony Stewart raced in several midget events, finishing thirteenth and eleventh in the USAC national points, and winning the Copper Classic both years.
In 1998, Ricky Rudd was the last owner-driver in the Cup series to win a race before Tony Stewart in 2009.
In 1998, Tony Stewart raced a handful of Busch Series races for Joe Gibbs, while also racing a full-time IRL schedule. In the IRL, he won twice and finished 3rd in the championship.
From 1999, Tony Stewart drove the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing car, under crew chief Greg Zipadelli with The Home Depot as the primary sponsor, until 2008.
In 1999 Tony Stewart founded Tri Star Motorsports, an IRL team, with Larry Curry, Andy Card, and Rick Ehrgott.
In 1999 Tony Stewart started a streak of 521 consecutive Sprint Cup starts at the Daytona 500 which would come to an end after he broke his leg in 2013.
In 1999, Gibbs had enough confidence in Stewart that he was moved up to a Cup ride for the 1999 season, ending his three-year career as a full-time IRL driver.
In 1999, Tony Stewart attempted to race 1,100 miles on Memorial Day weekend, competing in both the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600, finishing in the Top 10 at both races.
In 1999, Tony Stewart began his NASCAR Cup career by qualifying his No. 20 The Home Depot-sponsored Pontiac on the outside pole for the Daytona 500.
In 2001, Tony Stewart had a statistically worse season than 2000, but he finished 2nd to Gordon in the final points standings.
From 1999 to 2001, Tony Stewart owned Tri Star Motorsports, an IRL team, with Larry Curry, Andy Card, and Rick Ehrgott.
In 2001, Tony Stewart faced several controversies. At Bristol, Jeff Gordon's "bump and run" led to Stewart spinning him out on pit road, resulting in fines and probation for Stewart. During the Pepsi 400 at Daytona, he confronted an official after ignoring a black flag and had an altercation with a reporter. Additionally, he argued with an official at Talladega for refusing to wear a head-and-neck restraint. These incidents contributed to Stewart's reputation as NASCAR's "bad boy".
In 2001, Tony Stewart was featured on the cover of the official NASCAR video game.
Tony Stewart was inducted into the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2001.
In 2002, Jimmie Johnson tied Tony Stewart's series record for wins by a rookie with three.
In 2002, Tony Stewart won a championship with Joe Gibbs Racing.
In 2002, Tony Stewart won his first NASCAR Cup Series championship as a driver.
In 2002, Tony Stewart's Daytona 500 ended early due to a blown engine, but he later won at Atlanta and Richmond. At Darlington, a crash sent him to the hospital, but he started the next race. An altercation with a photographer after the Brickyard 400 led to a fine and point deduction. Despite this, he won at Watkins Glen amidst controversy and ultimately claimed his first Winston Cup championship at the end of the 2002 season.
In 2005, Tony Stewart mentioned that he loved winning his 2005 championship better than his 2002 one because his 2005 season was more well-behaved than 2002.
In 2003, Tony Stewart drove a Chevrolet instead of a Pontiac. He had his worst Cup season at this point, but it was still good enough for seventh in the points standings. He only won two races that season at Pocono and Charlotte but he led more laps than he did last year and was highly competitive in the final races of the season.
In 2003, Tony Stewart was featured on the cover of the official NASCAR video game.
In January 2004, Tony Stewart, teamed with Andy Wallace and Dale Earnhardt Jr. in a Boss Motorsports Chevrolet, finished fourth in the 24 Hours of Daytona sports car endurance race after dominating the race until the last two hours when the suspension cracked.
In November 2004, Tony Stewart became the owner of Eldora Speedway, a half-mile dirt track in New Weston, Ohio, known as "Auto Racing's Showcase Since 1954".
In 2004, At Infineon, Tony Stewart was involved in an altercation with rookie driver Brian Vickers after Vickers spun Stewart out in retaliation for an earlier collision. Stewart confronted Vickers and threw a punch through Vickers' window, resulting in a $50,000 fine, a 25-point deduction, and probation for the remainder of 2004.
In 2004, Carl Edwards ran more than ten Nextel Cup races.
In 2004, Tony Stewart started the season strong with a second-place finish in the Gatorade 125. He also dominated the Daytona 500, leading 98 laps, but ultimately lost the lead to Dale Earnhardt Jr. with 20 laps to go, marking his best finish in the Daytona 500.
In October 2005, Tony Stewart last started from the pole position at Martinsville Speedway, prior to his pole win in April 2010.
On November 20, 2005, Tony Stewart secured his second Cup Championship, becoming one of the few active drivers with multiple championships at the time. He expressed greater satisfaction with his 2005 win compared to his 2002 win due to better behavior. The 2005 season saw Stewart earn $13,578,168, including $6,173,633 for winning the championship, which was the largest season total in NASCAR history.
2005 was one of Tony Stewart's most successful years in the Nextel Cup Series as he won his second Cup title. He won five races at Infineon, Daytona, New Hampshire, Watkins Glen and Indianapolis.
In 2005, Carl Edwards had his first full Cup season, but was not regarded as a rookie by NASCAR standards because he had run more than ten Nextel Cup races in 2004.
In 2005, Tony Stewart secured his second NASCAR Cup Series championship as a driver.
In 2005, Tony Stewart won a championship with Joe Gibbs Racing.
In 2006, Jimmie Johnson did secure multiple championships like Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart.
In 2006, Tony Stewart missed qualifying for the Chase for the Nextel Cup by 16 points, becoming the first defending champion to do so. He finished poorly at Richmond after a wreck, dropping him out of the top ten, and concluded the 2006 season 11th in points, marking his worst career finish. Despite this, he won three races in the 2006 Chase.
In 2006, Tony Stewart's future teammate Denny Hamlin finished 3rd in the point standings.
Tony Stewart's 2006 season was marked by ups and downs. He secured early wins at Daytona and Martinsville but also faced periods of bad luck. A shoulder injury resulted from crashes at Charlotte during Memorial Day Weekend races, and he had to be substituted by Ricky Rudd during the Dover race and drive in pain in subsequent weeks.
Up until 2006, Tony Stewart had his worst Cup season, but it was still good enough for seventh in the points standings.
On March 22, 2007, it was announced that Tony Stewart would be featured on the cover of the official NASCAR video game NASCAR 08, published by Electronic Arts. This marked the third time Stewart received this honor, previously appearing on the cover in 2001 and 2003.
On June 4, 2007, at the Autism Speaks 400 at Dover, Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch had another altercation. Busch made contact with Stewart, sending him into the wall. After the crash, Busch made a profane gesture towards Stewart on pit road, leading to a fine for Busch, while Stewart received a warning.
On July 15, 2007, Tony Stewart led 108 laps and secured his 30th career NEXTEL Cup win at the USG Sheetrock 400 in Joliet.
On July 29, 2007, Tony Stewart won the Brickyard 400, his second win at his favorite track. The win was controversial, as Stewart made the winning pass by accidentally bending Kevin Harvick's car. Stewart was also penalized 25 points and fined $25,000 for using obscene language during the victory lane interview.
On August 12, 2007, Tony Stewart won the Centurion Boats at the Glen at Watkins Glen after Jeff Gordon spun his car. Carl Edwards briefly challenged Stewart on the final lap but spun out, securing Stewart's victory.
In 2007, Tony Stewart participated in the 30th season of IROC, winning two of four races and capturing the series championship, earning a million dollars. He offered to return the prize money if IROC held an event at his Eldora Speedway, but the offer was not taken as IROC folded in 2007. Additionally, his three wins in the Chase races brought his season total to five, tying him for second-most in Nextel Cup.
In 2007, Tony Stewart started the season by winning his second Chili Bowl Nationals midget car feature. He also won the 2007 Budweiser Shootout, marking his third win in the race, and his qualifying race for the Daytona 500.
Since 2007, Tony Stewart's open-wheel short-track racing cars have been sponsored by Chevrolet.
On July 5, 2008, Tony Stewart became unwell during the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona and handed his car over to J. J. Yeley, a former teammate, who finished 20th after multiple wrecks.
On July 8, 2008, Tony Stewart was released from his contract with Joe Gibbs Racing and announced he would be moving to Haas CNC Racing to drive a Haas Chevrolet, with sponsorships from Office Depot and Old Spice, taking half ownership of the team which was renamed Stewart-Haas Racing.
In July 2008, Tony Stewart reached an agreement with car owner Gene Haas, creating a co-ownership partnership known as Stewart-Haas Racing, which would be effective in 2009.
On August 15, 2008, Ryan Newman, also from Indiana, signed a multi-year contract to drive the second car for Stewart-Haas Racing, sponsored by the U.S. Army.
On October 5, 2008, Tony Stewart secured his first and only win of the season at the AMP Energy 500 at Talladega, marking his final victory with Joe Gibbs Racing after NASCAR declared that Regan Smith's pass was illegal.
In 2008, Kurt Busch tapped Tony Stewart's bumper on the last lap at Richmond, leading to a shoving match between the two after the race.
In 2008, as Joe Gibbs Racing switched to Toyota, Tony Stewart started the season with a 6th-place start in the Daytona 500 and finished 3rd, after being passed by Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch on the last lap.
In 2008, during the Coca-Cola 600, Tony Stewart experienced a tire issue with three laps remaining, narrowly avoiding contact with the wall. He was compelled to relinquish the lead to Kasey Kahne to make necessary pit stops.
Tony Stewart's time driving the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing car, under crew chief Greg Zipadelli with The Home Depot as the primary sponsor, ended in 2008 after starting in 1999.
On June 7, 2009, Tony Stewart achieved his first points race win as a driver/owner at Pocono in the Pocono 500, becoming the first owner-driver in the Cup series to win a race since Ricky Rudd in 1998.
On October 5, 2009, Tony Stewart won the Price Chopper 400, advancing to fourth place in the standings, but finished the season in sixth place overall.
In 2009, Stewart-Haas Racing was officially formed after Tony Stewart's departure from Joe Gibbs Racing.
In 2009, following a win in the Pepsi 400, Tony Stewart started climbing the fence after victories, similar to Hélio Castroneves. After winning the All-Star race, he jokingly mentioned being too fat to climb fences and purchased exercise equipment. The Home Depot capitalized on this with promotions, such as discounts on ladders, fencing, and bricks. Stewart aimed to keep winning races and help lower home improvement costs for The Home Depot customers.
On April 16, 2010, Tony Stewart secured his first Sprint Cup pole position in five years at Texas Motor Speedway, marking his 400th Sprint Cup race and his first pole since October 2005.
On May 9, 2010, it was reported that Tony Stewart would lose Old Spice as a sponsor after 11 years of partnership.
On September 5, 2010, Tony Stewart secured a win at the Emory Healthcare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
On October 10, 2010, Tony Stewart won the Pepsi Max 400 at Auto Club Speedway.
On October 12, 2010, Mobil 1 announced a sponsorship deal with Stewart-Haas Racing, sponsoring Tony Stewart's car starting in 2011.
From 2006 to 2010 Jimmie Johnson also secured multiple championships.
In June 2011 at Infineon Raceway, Tony Stewart intentionally crashed into Brian Vickers, leading to Vickers intentionally wrecking Stewart in retaliation.
On July 27, 2011, Tony Stewart won his first-ever World of Outlaws race at Ohsweken Speedway.
On October 30, 2011, Tony Stewart won the Tums Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway, moving into championship contention.
On November 20, 2011, Tony Stewart won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship by winning the final race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, tying on total points with Carl Edwards but winning the tiebreaker due to having more race wins.
In 2011, Mobil 1 began sponsoring Tony Stewart's car for 11 races, with Office Depot sponsoring the remainder.
In 2011, Tony Stewart achieved a significant milestone by winning the NASCAR Cup Series championship as an owner/driver.
On February 11, 2012, Tony Stewart almost won the Budweiser Shootout but was passed by Kyle Busch in a close finish.
On March 25, 2012, Tony Stewart won the rain-shortened Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway.
On June 3, 2012, Tony Stewart was caught in a 13-car crash at Dover and finished the race in 25th place.
On October 2, 2012, Bass Pro Shops announced that they would be a co-primary sponsor for Tony Stewart in a selected number of races for the 2013 season.
After winning at Sonoma, Tony Stewart moved into the Chase for the first time since 2012.
In 2012 at Bristol in the Irwin Tools Night Race, Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth tangled while battling for the lead, leading Stewart to climb out of his wrecked car and throw his helmet at Kenseth's car in anger.
In 2012, Regan Smith drove two races in Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s car after Earnhardt was sidelined with a concussion, leading to speculation that Smith might replace Stewart after his injury in 2013.
In 2012, Tony Stewart stirred controversy following the Quicken Loans 400 by stating that Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s win "Is not a national holiday," taunting Earnhardt's fans for celebrating the anniversary of Earnhardt's last win.
On August 11, 2013, with Tony Stewart injured, Max Papis was named as the replacement driver for the race at Watkins Glen International.
On August 19, 2013, Tony Stewart was ruled out for the remainder of the season due to his leg injury. Mark Martin was signed to drive his car for most of the remaining races.
In 2013 Tony Stewart had a leg injury and some claimed his poor showing in 2014 had something to do with it, but Tony dismissed these claims.
In 2013 Tony Stewart had a leg injury in a sprint car, which he drove again in 2014.
In 2013, Bass Pro Shops became a co-primary sponsor for Tony Stewart for select races.
In 2013, Tony Stewart won the opening Nationwide Series event at Daytona, but his win was overshadowed by a crash involving Kyle Larson and injuring 28 spectators. The next day in the Daytona 500, Tony Stewart was caught up in an early crash with Kevin Harvick and Kasey Kahne.
In 2013, at Dover, Tony Stewart recovered from an early setback to win his sole Sprint Cup race of the year after overtaking Juan Pablo Montoya in the final laps. The win propelled him into a Wildcard spot and extended his streak to 15 seasons with at least one race win.
In September at Atlanta in 2013, Mike Arning, a team spokesman, announced that Office Depot would not be Tony Stewart's sponsor.
On February 15, 2014, Tony Stewart returned to sprint car racing, driving the same car in which he broke his leg in 2013. He won a sprint car race at Tri-City Motor Speedway.
On August 17, 2014, Jeff Burton replaced Tony Stewart for the race at Michigan and the following race at Bristol. Stewart had a waiver to maintain Chase eligibility despite missing races.
As of October 7, 2014, Tony Stewart had three career World of Outlaws main event victories.
On November 12, 2014, Tony Stewart's probation, stemming from an incident at the Charlotte race, ended.
In 2014, Tony Stewart finished his season with a last-place finish at Homestead-Miami, ending his 15-year winning streak. This year marked his worst statistical performance as a driver. However, he did win the Owner's Championship with Kevin Harvick.
In 2014, Tony Stewart won the NASCAR Cup Series championship as a team owner.
On November 9, 2014, it was announced that Kevin Harvick would be joining Tony Stewart's team.
On September 27, 2015, it was reported that Tony Stewart planned to retire from racing after the 2016 season.
On September 30, 2015, Tony Stewart formally announced his retirement from racing after the 2016 season. Clint Bowyer was announced as his replacement in the No. 14 car in 2017.
During the 2015 CampingWorld.com 500, Tony Stewart crashed on lap 288, resulting in a caution. His teammate Kevin Harvick eventually won the race.
In 2015, Kyle Busch won a championship with Joe Gibbs Racing.
In the 2015 season, Tony Stewart failed to score a win for the second year in a row and missed the Chase. He did not finish higher than 6th place.
On April 24, 2016, Tony Stewart returned to racing at the Toyota Owners 400 in Richmond, finishing 19th, after missing the first eight races of the season due to a back injury.
In 2016 at Richmond, Tony Stewart wrecked Ryan Newman, causing a pileup and ending Newman's chase chances. Stewart's bid for a fourth title ended after poor finishes, and he finished his career with a 22nd-place finish at the Ford EcoBoost 400.
In 2016, Tony Stewart last competed full-time in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (now known as the NASCAR Cup Series), driving the No. 14 Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing, under crew chief Mike Bugarewicz.
On September 30, 2015, Tony Stewart formally announced his retirement from racing after the 2016 season.
On September 30, 2015, it was announced that Clint Bowyer would replace Tony Stewart in the No. 14 car in 2017 after Stewarts retirement.
In 2019, Kyle Busch won a championship with Joe Gibbs Racing.
In 2021, Tony Stewart got a podium finish in the inaugural SRX Series race, swept the two dirt track races, and won the championship by 45 points over Ernie Francis Jr.
In 2022, Tony Stewart was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame.
In the 2024 season, Tony Stewart is set to replace Leah Pruett in Top Fuel as Pruett steps aside to start a family with Stewart.
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