Tony Stewart

Lore & Background

Throughout his racing career, Stewart has won racing titles in Indy, midget, sprint, and USAC Silver Crown cars. He is the only driver in history to win a championship in both IndyCar and NASCAR. Stewart became known for his hot temper and for his sarcasm with the media. Stewart last competed full-time in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series during the 2016 season, driving the No. 14 Chevrolet SS for his team, Stewart–Haas Racing. From 1999 to 2008, he drove the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing car. In 2011, Stewart became the first owner-driver since Alan Kulwicki to win the Cup Series championship. Stewart is the only driver to win the Cup Series championship under the old points system and the chase playoff format, and is the only driver to win the title under three different sponsorships. He is also the first driver in the Cup Series to win the championship by a tiebreaker. On May 22, 2019, Stewart was voted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, and on January 31, 2020, was inducted. On November 21, 2021, he married NHRA Top Fuel Drag Racer Leah Pruett. He replaced Pruett in Top Fuel for the 2024 season as Pruett stepped aside to start a family with Stewart.

In Their Own Story

The afternoon sun hung low over the backstretch at Indianapolis, painting the concrete in shades of amber and rust. Pit lane was a symphony of impact wrenches and compressed air, the #2 Panther hissing as the crew cycled through the final tire change. Tony Stewart sat in the cockpit, hands on the wheel, feeling the carbon-fiber seat absorb the vibration of the idling engine. Three wins here. Three times he'd come through this tunnel, three times he'd felt the green flag's electric jolt in his shoulders. But this one felt different. The car was alive under him, twitchy and eager, and he could feel the track's grooves through the steering column like a pulse. He exhaled, tapped the wheel twice—a small ritual, a small prayer—and waited for the field to settle. The flag was coming. It always was.

Reader's Guide

Stewart got his first competitive go kart in Westport, Indiana in 1979. In 1980, he won his first championship. He won a World Karting Association championship in 1987. He moved up to the United Midget Racing Association, racing TQ midgets until 1991, when he moved up to USAC. Stewart was the USAC Rookie of the Year in 1991, USAC National Midget Series Champion in 1994 and 1995, and USAC Silver Crown Series champion in 1995. In 1995, Stewart became the first driver to win USAC's version of the Triple Crown. He signed early in 1996 for Team Menard in the IRL. In his Indy car debut at Walt Disney World Speedway, Stewart finished second. For his Indianapolis 500 debut, Stewart qualified on the pole. After leading 44 laps, his race ended before the halfway point due to a malfunctioning pop-off valve. In 1996, he made his NASCAR Busch Series debut. Stewart won his first IRL race at Pikes Peak in the 1996-97 season. He won the IRL title in 1997. He earned the nickname "Smoke" first for slipping the right rear tire during dirt races and then for blowing his engine often during his 1997 championship run. Stewart drove for Joe Gibbs in the Busch Series in 1998. In the IRL in 1998, he won twice and finished third in the championship. He finished last in the Indy 500 that year due to an engine failure. Stewart moved up to a Cup ride for the 1999 season, ending his three-year career as a full-time IRL driver. In 2005, Stewart was fined $5,000 and placed on probation for hitting Brian Vickers after a Busch Series race. In 2013, Stewart won the opening Nationwide Series event at Daytona. In 2020, Stewart planned to return to the Xfinity Series but plans were called off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Stewart started his NASCAR Cup career in 1999 with Joe Gibbs Racing.

Did You Know?

• Stewart is the only driver in history to win a championship in both IndyCar and NASCAR.
• He won the IRL championship in 1997.
• Stewart never won the Indianapolis 500; his best finish was 5th in 1997.
• He is a four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion.
• Stewart was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame on January 31, 2020.