Tony Stewart, a three-time NASCAR Cup Series championship driver and two-time championship car owner, was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in Daytona Beach, Fla., on Tuesday night. He was part of an induction class that also included IndyCar's Dario Franchitti, motorcycle racing’s Kevin Schwantz, racing pioneer Augie Duesenberg, sports car racing innovator Phil Remington, drag racer Don Schumacher, and legendary trophy queen Linda Vaughn.
“Seeing all the great inductees from the past, it’s very humbling to be a part of that group now,’’ Stewart said. “I guess because I’m still racing, I never even thought about being a part of it. Normally when you think about being in a Hall of Fame you’re nearing the end of your career and I feel like this is the second part of my career starting, not the end of it. It was a big surprise and at the same time, very humbling.”
Stewart retired from competition as a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver after the 2016 season. He continues to race dirt sprint cars and remains a NASCAR team owner as half owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, a team that fields entries in the Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series.
Before his retirement as a NASCAR driver, Stewart won 49 races in 618 starts. He was the premier series’ championship driver in 2002, 2005 and 2011. He also was a championship owner in 2011, as that title came with Stewart-Haas Racing. His previous two came as a driver for Joe Gibbs Racing. Stewart won a second Cup Series title as an owner with driver Kevin Harvick in 2014.
“Dario and I were talking and I joked, ‘I don’t even know what category I’m getting inducted in with short track racing, IndyCar and NASCAR.’ It’s been fun and I’m excited about the group here,” Stewart said.
Stewart successfully raced in the IndyCar Series between 1996 and 1998 before going full-time in NASCAR’s top series in 1999. He won three IndyCar races during that time and was champion in 1997. Stewart also is a USAC Triple Crown champion and member of the USAC Hall of Fame, National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame and Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame.
