Tony Stewart

Birthday: 05/20/1971
Hometown: Columbus, IN , United States

YEAR-BY-YEAR CUP SERIES RECAP

2011 -- Won third series championship. ... Became first driver/owner to win NASCAR Sprint Cup title since Alan Kulwicki in 1992. ... Won series-leading five races, all in 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup (Chicagoland, New Hampshire-2, Martinsville-2, Texas-2, Homestead). ... Homestead win voted "Top Moment of 2011" by media. ... Qualified for seventh Chase as the ninth seed. ... Won title via "most wins" tiebreaker, five-to-one, after tying Carl Edwards in points. ... Had series' second-highest bonus-point total. ... Championship was closest in NASCAR Sprint Cup history. ... Won one pole, Charlotte-2, on way to 17.7 average start, worst of his three championships. ... Average finish, 12.0, second-best of three championships. ... Completed series' second-best 99.3 percent of total laps raced. ... Led championship three times, after Las Vegas, New Hampshire-2 and Homestead.

2010 -- Finished seventh in series points. ... Won two races and two poles in his second season as an owner/driver. ... Qualified for sixth Chase as sixth seed. ... Best position in standings was fourth, one week before Chase cutoff. ... Nine top-fives and 17 top-10s. ... Won poles at Texas-1 (his first in 155 Cup races), Pocono-2; average start 13.2. ... Won Atlanta-2, Fontana-2 on way to 13.9 average finish. ... Average Driver Rating 91.2. ... His 12-season win streak -- every year he's been in series -- leads all active drivers.

2009 -- Finished sixth in series points. ... Won four races, his most since 2006 (five) ... Made the difficult transition to owner/driver without a drop in on-track performance. Won Stewart-Haas Racing's first event at the All- Star Race. ... Won points race at Pocono-1 Daytona-2, Watkins Glen and Kansas. ... His win on June 7 was the first by a driver-owner since Ricky Rudd (Martinsville) on Sept. 27, 1998. ... An owner/driver had not led the points since Alan Kulwicki clinched the championship on Nov. 15, 1992, at Atlanta Motor Speedway. .. Win at Daytona on July 4 made him the first owner/driver to win multiple races in a season since Ricky Rudd (Dover and Indianapolis) in 1997. ... Led the standings for 13 weeks entering the final regular season race at Richmond, but entered the Chase seeded second to Mark Martin, who had four wins to Stewart's three at the time. ... Tied teammate Ryan Newman by completing 99.77 percent of laps run in 2009. (10,492 were run in 2009). ... Led the series with 370 points gained on road courses ... His 11-season win streak leads all active drivers.

2008 -- Finished ninth in series points. ... Posted one win, the 33rd of his career but his first at Talladega. ... Finished third in dramatic Daytona 500, losing lead on final lap to Ryan Newman -- his new teammate for 2009. ... Announced decision to leave Joe Gibbs Racing and become owner/driver for newly formed Stewart-Haas organization.

2007 -- Finished sixth in the series points. ... Earned three wins, 11 top-fives and 23 top-10s. ... Led 20 of 36 races for 980 laps. ... Won the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard for the second time in his career.

2006 -- Finished 11th in series points. ... Posted five wins, three of which (Kansas, Atlanta and Texas) were races during the Chase. ... Had 15 top-five and 19 top-10 finishes.

2005 -- Won second series championship. ... Ranked first in points heading into the Chase. ... Won five races (Sonoma, Daytona, New Hampshire, Indianapolis and Watkins Glen) over a seven-race stretch. ... His three poles were at Daytona (July), Watkins Glen and New Hampshire (September). ... The Daytona win was Stewart's first points-paying restrictor-plate victory. Won Gatorade Duel qualifying race at Daytona to earn fourth-place starting spot in the Daytona 500. ... Had seven top-10 finishes in the 10-race Chase, including three runner-up finishes.

2004 -- Finished sixth in series points. ... Entered the inaugural Chase in fourth place. ... Finished second in the Daytona 500 after leading 98 of 200 laps. ... Scored the first of two wins at Chicago after leading 160 of 267 laps. ... Enjoyed a mid-season run that included two wins and five top-fives in six races. ... Was caught up in an accident and finished 39th at New Hampshire, Round 1 of the Chase. ... Was one of four drivers in the top 10 all season.

2003 -- Finished seventh in series points. ... On par to defend series title after four top-10s in first five races, but a string of four DNFs and inconsistent finishes -- including consecutive finishes of 41st (Fontana), 41st (Richmond) and 40th (Charlotte) -- dropped him to 20th by late May. ... Won two races, Pocono in June and Charlotte in October. ... Rebounded late in the year with six consecutive top-fives (Dover through Atlanta) bumping him from 11th to seventh in series points. ... Won second career Truck Series race at Richmond in September. ... Signed contract extension with Joe Gibbs Racing in September through 2009.

2002 -- Won series championship. ... Gave team owner Joe Gibbs his second championship in three seasons (Bobby Labonte in 2000 was Gibbs' other champion). ... Championship season marked the fourth consecutive season in the final top 10 in points. ... Won three races -- Atlanta in March, Richmond in May and Watkins Glen in August. ... Bounced back after last-place finish (43rd) in season-opening Daytona 500. ... Took lead in points after Talladega race in October. ... March to the top began at New Hampshire in July with the first of nine consecutive top-15 finishes. ... Clinched championship in season finale at Homestead with 18th-place finish; finished 31 points ahead of Mark Martin in the final standings.

2001 -- Finished second in series points, behind four-time champion Jeff Gordon. ... Started season by winning Budweiser Shootout at Daytona, a non-points event; that was his first victory in restrictor-plate racing. ... Won three series races. ... Won at Sonoma for first series road-course victory, with dramatic late-race pass of leader Robby Gordon. ... Also won at Richmond and at the Bristol night race. ... Completed 1,100 miles of racing on May 27, finishing sixth in the Indianapolis 500 and third in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte.

2000 -- Finished sixth in series points. ... Won six races, including both Dover events. Also won at Michigan, New Hampshire, Martinsville and Homestead. ... Homestead win came on day that Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Bobby Labonte clinched series championship. ... Had streak of six consecutive top-10 finishes. ... Took two poles.

1999 -- Finished fourth in series points. ... Rookie of the year in first season with Joe Gibbs Racing. ... Won three races during great second half of season. ... First win at Richmond on Sept. 11, in 25th series start. ... Also won back-to-back events at Phoenix and Homestead. ... First series rookie to win three races. ... Had two poles, plus an outside pole for the season-opening Daytona 500. ... Finished second in All-Star Race after winning qualifying race. ... Raced in Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on May 30, finishing ninth at Indy and fourth at Charlotte.

PREVIOUS RACING HISTORY

Has won in all three NASCAR national series, including NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. ... Won 2006 International Race of Champions title. ... In 1998, ran 22 Nationwide Series races for Joe Gibbs Racing, getting two poles and five top-five finishes, while also running full IndyCar Series schedule. ... Ran five Nationwide Series races for Gibbs in 1997. ... In 1996 ran nine Nationwide Series races for Ranier/Walsh Racing. ... Won IndyCar Series championship in 1997. ... Earned 1996 IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year; also Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year after taking the pole and leading the first 44 laps. ... In 1995 swept championships in United States Auto Club (USAC) Midget, Sprint Car and Silver Crown competition, the first driver to do so. ...Won 1994 USAC National Midget championship. ... 1991 USAC Sprint Car Rookie of the Year. ... Won 1987 World Karting Association national title. ... In 1983, won International Kart Federation Grand National title.

NOTEWORTHY

Won the 2010 National Motorsports Press Association's Humanitarian Award for his philanthropic work, which includes the Tony Stewart Foundation. ... Stewart's Tony Stewart Racing World of Outlaws Sprint Car team won the 2001 series title with driver Danny Lasoski, again in 2008-2009 with Donny Schatz. ... USAC division of TSR has a total of 12 championships, six each in the Sprint Car and Silver Crown divisions; including USAC Triple Crown with driver J.J. Yeley. ... Stewart's favorite driver is four-time Indy 500 champion A.J. Foyt, and selected Foyt's famed No. 14 for his own new ride at Stewart-Haas Racing in 2009. ... Appeared in a music video for rock band 3 Doors Down. ... Donated $1 million to Kyle and Pattie Petty and their Victory Junction Gang Camp in November 2003. ... Purchased Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, in November 2004; also part-owner of Paducah (Ky.) International Raceway and Macon (Ill.) Speedway. ... Named 2004 NASCAR USG Driver of the Year for charitable efforts, earning a $100,000 award, which he donated to the Victory Junction Gang Camp. ... Named USA Weekend Magazine's 2004 Most Caring Athlete along with NASCAR driver Kyle Petty.