Stewart, Tony (1971-…), is a champion American race car driver. Stewart is one of the most versatile drivers in automobile racing history. He is the only automobile racing driver to win championships in stock, Indy, midget, sprint, and Silver Crown cars. Known for his aggressive driving, Stewart is one of the most colorful and sometimes controversial drivers in auto racing.
Stewart was named United States Auto Club (USAC) Sprint Car Rookie of the Year in 1991 and won his first USAC championship in 1994. Stewart won the USAC national midget, sprint, and Silver Crown titles in 1995, the first driver to win all three championships in the same year. Stewart raced in the IRL IndyCar Series (now the NTT IndyCar Series) in 1996, winning the Rookie of the Year award at the Indianapolis 500. He won the series championship the next year. Stewart began competing on the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) circuit in 1999, and was named Rookie of the Year that year. He won what is now called the NASCAR Cup Championship in 2002, 2005, and 2011.
Anthony Wayne Stewart was born on May 20, 1971, in Columbus, Indiana. He began racing go-karts at the age of 7 and won his first karting championship at the age of 8. Stewart moved to more high-powered racing in the late 1980’s.
Stewart has been active in philanthropy. In 2003, he established the Tony Stewart Foundation. The foundation raises money for organizations that care for critically ill children and helps support families of drivers who were injured in races. Stewart retired as a NASCAR driver following the 2016 season. He was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2020. In 2021, Stewart married the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) drag racer Leah Pruett. In 2022, Stewart began competing in NHRA races.
