Nominee for the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2020
Known as “The People’s Champion” for his blue-collar, hard-nosed style of competition, Stewart has proven to be a master of any type of race car he drives.
Born: May 20, 1971
Hometown: Columbus, Indiana
Championships (3)
Cup – 2002, ’05, ’11
Cup Series Stats
Competed:
1999-2016
Starts: 618
Wins: 49
Poles: 15
Years on Ballot: 1
He immediately showed that he would be a force to be reckoned with – earning three victories in his Rookie of the Year season. The titles soon followed. Stewart won his first Cup championship in 2002 driving for Joe Gibbs Racing and answered that quickly in 2005 with his second title.
His versatility was on display throughout his 17-year NASCAR career. He tallied 49 wins in the Cup Series – winning on every style of track. He won the prestigious Brickyard 400 at his beloved, home-state Indianapolis Motor Speedway twice.
RELATED: Tony Stewart’s career stats | Members of the Hall of Fame
In 2009, Stewart became a team owner, partnering with Gene Haas. He won 16 times as a driver/owner and was involved in one of the most memorable championship pursuits in history. In 2011, he won five of the 10 Playoff races – including the season finale – to claim his third title by virtue of a tiebreaker over Carl Edwards.
Stewart-Haas Racing has 51 wins (entering the Bristol spring race), including the 2017 Daytona 500, and has added a second championship with Kevin Harvick in 2014.