2002 Pontiac Grand Prix NASCAR

Anthony Wayne 'Tony' Stewart was born on May 20th of 1971 in Rushville, Indiana. He has won championships in sprint cars, Indy cars, and Stock Cars.

His career in stock cars got off to an excellent start. he qualified his Home Depot Pontiac with number 20 in second place. This was a very impressive accomplishment, since it was at the Daytona 500 which is considered the Superbowl of the Winson/Next Cup series. He ran near the top during the Daytona 500, giving Dale Ernhart much competition. Stewart ran well for most of the race until the car experienced problems and he finished in the middle of the pack.

During his rookie year in NASCAR, he could often be found in the top 10, failing to finish only one race. He tied a rookie record with three victories and finished the season in fourth place in points. This accomplishment earned him the Winston Cup Rookie of the Year Award.

In 2000, he won six races, though he finished the season in 6th place, partly due to a few DNFs and increasing competition in the series. His teammate, Labonte won the Cup Championship. At Watkins Glen, Stewart and Jeff Gordon were involved in a crash, that brought out Stewards 'temper.' The event promoted Stewart to use some obscenities toward Gordon, and created a rivalry that has continued to persist.

In 2001, Stewart's season got off to a dismal start as he was involved in a crash at the Daytona 500. His car was flipped many times and out of control for what seemed like an eternity to those who were watching the event. Luckily, Stewart was able to walk away with nearly any signs of the crash occurring. The rest of the season went well for Stewart, often running near the front of the pack and finishing in first on three occasions. At the end of the season, he found himself in second place in the Cup Championship, behind Jeff Gordon.

In 2002, Stewart lasted just two laps at the Daytona 500 before his engine failed. His prior season had him show his temper, again at Gordon. Gordon had done a 'bump and run' technique at Bristol. After the race was over, Stewart retaliated by spinning Gordon's car on pit road. NASCAR fined Stewart and put him on probation. In 2002, this streak continued for Stewart. He was involved in an altercation with a photographer after the Brickyard 400. He was again placed on probation. Still, this would not be enough to keep him from claiming his first Winston Cup Championship.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jul 2007