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Two time NASCAR champion, Indy Racing League (IRL) champion, United States Auto Club (USAC) champion, and Karting champion – that is Tony Stewart. From the beginning of his career 25 years ago to his present role as driver of the #20 Home Depot Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, Tony Stewart has proven to be a champion every step of the way.
The Columbus, Ind., native has scored a total of nine driving championships since he first wheeled a go-kart at a Westport, Ind., race track in 1978. But it was his NASCAR championship in 2002 that Stewart puts first on his list of accomplishments.
"The competition level is so tight now," said Stewart. "At the beginning of the year you used to be able to pick about five guys who you thought had a realistic shot at winning the championship. But now, you can pick anywhere from 10-12 guys who have a legitimate shot at the championship. If you have a good year and some luck goes your way, you can run for a championship."
And that's just what Stewart and his #20 Home Depot Racing Team look to in the future. But to understand the possibilities that lie in Stewart's future, one must look to the past.
Stewart's racing career began at age seven behind the wheel of a go-kart, with his father, Nelson, serving as car owner and crew chief.
In addition to being devoted to racing, Stewart is also devoted to philanthropy, so much so that he formed his own charitable foundation in 2003. Known simply as the Tony Stewart Foundation, its goal is to raise funds that will be primarily distributed to organizations that help care for critically ill children, as well as to lend support to families of race car drivers who have been injured in motorsports.
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