Tony Stewart

Tony Stewart
Nationality	United States
Date of Birth	May 20, 1971
Place of Birth	Columbus, Indiana
Years Active	1996-1999, 2001
Starts	26
Wins	3
Poles	9
Best Finish	1st (1996-97)

Anthony Wayne "Tony" Stewart is a former IndyCar Series driver and champion who competed in the first three seasons of the IRL's existence. Driving for the powerful Team Menard with sponsorship from Glidden Paints, he arguably became the new league's first superstar, parlaying his success into a long-term NASCAR contract with Joe Gibbs Racing. After defecting to NASCAR, he returned to the IRL to compete in the 1999 and 2001 Indianapolis 500's.

2001

In the midst of an excellent Winston Cup season that saw him finish 2nd in points, Stewart joined Chip Ganassi Racing to compete at the 2001 Indianapolis 500, again pulling double duty on the same day. The #33 Target G-Force-Oldsmobile started 7th and finished 6th at Indianapolis, Stewart then finished 3rd at the Coca-Cola 600 that night, becoming the first driver to complete all 1,100 miles of racing in one day.

For his lone start, Stewart finished 39th overall in the series' standings.

After the IRL

Stewart has won three NASCAR Sprint Cup championships, in 2002, 2005, and 2011. He has 33 career Sprint Cup wins, 7 Nationwide Series wins, and 2 Craftsman Truck Series wins as of the end of 2008.

Stewart also owns cars in the World of Outlaws Series and the USAC Triple Crown. He is also owner or part-owner of three short tracks in the midwest: Eldora Speedway (Rossburg, Ohio), Paducah International Raceway (Paducah, Kentucky), and Macon Speedway (Macon, Illinois). Stewart stages an annual event for Sprint Cup drivers at Eldora called the "Prelude to the Dream," the week before the track's biggest event for local drivers, "The Dream."

Stewart has also become a celebrity outside of the racecar, endorsing many companies, such as The Home Depot, Coca-Cola, and Subway. "Smoke" also has a weekly radio show, "Tony Stewart Live," on SIRIUS Satellite Radio.