| When it comes to Tony Stewart or “Smoke” as he has been dubbed, you either love him or you hate him. There doesn’t seem to be a middle ground for the average fan. He is infamous for his temper flare-ups and putting his foot in his mouth. He is brutally honest and yet is totally generous. He loves animals and kids. He loves to race. He loves fishing and hunting and poker. He is a typical male in that way. However, Mr. Stewart is a two-time NASCAR champion and an IRL champion. He also has numerous other titles under his belt. Everything he has driven, he not only won races with but also has taken a championship with. He has an incredible personality and can be very cocky. If you were Tony, you would be cocky too! Tony Stewart makes his home in Columbus, IN where he was born and raised. He bought his parents’ old house and had it renovated. He owns over 120 acres of land with a man made lake that he loves to fish on. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have the time with his busy career to go there very often. Unlike many race car drivers, he worked his way to the top. There was a time in his life that he even worked at McDonald’s and was also a tow truck driver. Today, he doesn’t live hand to mouth however. Now, you can go into any grocery store or Walmart and see his face plastered all over. He has a live radio broadcast on the NASCAR channel on Sirius radio, as well as his own racing team. It is hard not to be familiar with this man when his face is on t-shirts, television and even on Coke machines. Few drivers would say that he isn’t one of the best out there. Some of us however, would call him one of a kind. The kind of driver kids look up to. Anthony Wayne Stewart is single. He dreams of marrying some day and having children of his own. In the meantime, you can often see him with his niece and nephew as well as his chihuahua, Kayle. His crew chief , Greg Zippadelli, is more like a brother to him as Tony has only a sister, Natalie. Winning his first championship in junior carts at the age of eight was just the beginning of Tony’s racing career. They had to name a title for him in 1995 when he won three of the silver crowns. He was then the first driver to ever obtain the Triple Crown in USAC. He then drove Indy cars and won the championship there in 1997. In 1999, he won the rookie of the year in the Winston Cup. He followed that up by winning his first Cup in 2002 among much controversy because of his temper. Amazingly, he has acquired these titles while being extremely claustrophobic. After anger management classes, he went on to win the NEXTEL Cup in 2005 and dedicated it to his crew chief Zippy, explaining that he did it right this time…. Tony still loves to drive dirt track. In fact, he owns Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. He hosts the NEXTEL Prelude to a Dream Series at that track every summer with many NASCAR stars driving to raise money for the Petty’s Victory Junction Gang Camp in Greensborough, NC. Over the years, Tony has pledged more than a million dollars to this charity. He also contributes to the Humane Society as well as helping build Kaboom! Playgrounds. Other charities he has helped over the years include but are not limited to the American Cancer Society, Habitat for Humanity, and the Make a Wish Foundation. Smoke doesn’t just donate to these foundations, he gets involved. He has built houses for Habitat for Humanity, helped build playgrounds for Kaboom and is often seen at VJGC. Tony is not only a great racer but a great man…. |
| Racing... It's not a passion or obsession. It's a way of Life. - Smokes Angel |
