| | | | | | | 20 - Tony Stewart | Columbus, IN |
| | Primary Sponsor: The Home Depot
Manufacturer: Chevrolet
Car Owner: Joe Gibbs
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing Indiana native Tony Stewart is the proud owner of two NASCAR Cup Series championship trophies.
He earned his first NASCAR Cup Series trophy in 2002, adding to his collection of honors including a 1997 IndyCar Series trophy and four United States Auto club (USAC) championship rings. Stewart was also the first and only driver to have won championships in stock cars, Indy cars and open-wheel Midget, Sprint and Silver Crown cars.
After winning the 2005 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series championship, he joined a group of only 14 drivers who have claimed multiple Cup Series titles. His victory was well-deserved in a season where he earned five wins, scored three poles and racked up a career best 17 top-fives and 25 top-10s. He also earned $13,578,168 that season – a record season-ending payout.
Stewart has collected 29 wins since he began racing in NASCAR’s top series in 1999, and has never finished worse than 11th in the final point standings.
Stewart began karting in 1978 when he was just seven years old. In 1980 when he was eight years old, he won a 40cycle rookie junior class championship at Columbus Fairgrounds. Next he went from local champion to the national level, winning titles in 1983 and 1987.
Next Stewart moved on to three-quarter midgets and eventually the USAC series, where he became the first driver to win the circuit’s Triple Crown with National Midget, Sprint and Silver Crown titles in 1995. Stewart still races Midgets occasionally when he has time in his schedule.
His success led Stewart to the fledgling IndyCar Series, where he earned Rookie of the Year in 1996. The following year he won the series championship.
In 1999, Stewart moved to NASCAR and the Busch Series with Joe Gibbs Racing, after two years in the IRL. In September he won his first Cup race at Richmond International Raceway. In the final nine events, he scored two more wins and a pair of second-place finishes, earning him top rookie honors. In 2000, he won six races, a personal best.
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