Speedway may refer to:

In racing

Oval track racing, motor racing on an oval track which turns in one direction

Cycle speedway, a form of bicycle racing

Motorcycle speedway, a form of motorcycle sport

Dirt track racing in New Zealand

Other uses

;Placenames

Speedway, California, former town in Butte County

Speedway, Indiana, a town in Marion County, Indiana, that is the home of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Speedway, West Virginia

;Miscellany

Speedway (band), a Scottish band who entered the UK charts in 2003

''Speedway'' (film), a 1968 film starring Elvis Presley and Nancy Sinatra

Speedway LLC, a chain of gas stations

, a United States Navy patrol boat in commission from 1917 to 1919

de:Speedway fr: Speedway ja:スピードウェイ pt:Speedway fi:Speedway uk:Спідвей (значення)

Name	Dale Arnold Jarrett
Birth date	November 26, 1956
Birth place	Conover, North Carolina
Hometown	Conover, North Carolina
Years in cup	24
Total cup races	668
Best cup pos	1st – 1999 (Winston Cup)
Cup wins	32
Cup top tens	260
Cup poles	16
First cup race	1984 Sovran Bank 500 (Martinsville)
Last cup race	2008 Food City 500 (Bristol)
First cup win	1991 Champion Spark Plug 400 (Michigan)
Last cup win	2005 UAW Ford 500 (Talladega)
Awards	Named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers (1998) 1999 Winston Cup Champion 2004 ''USG Person of the Year Award''
Updated	November 18, 2006 }}

Dale Arnold Jarrett (born November 26, 1956) is a former American race car driver and current sports commentator known for winning the 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship. He is the son of two-time Grand National Champion Ned Jarrett, younger brother of Glenn Jarrett; a former NASCAR driver himself and pit commentator, father of former driver Jason Jarrett, and cousin of Todd Jarrett. Beginning in 2007, Jarrett joined the ESPN/ABC broadcasting team as an announcer in select Nationwide Series races. In 2008, after retiring from driving following the 2008 Food City 500, Jarrett joined ESPN permanently as the lead racing analyst replacing Rusty Wallace. Jarrett was born in Conover, North Carolina.

Early career

Upon graduation from Newton-Conover High School in 1975, Jarrett was offered a full golf scholarship from the University of South Carolina, which he declined. Jarrett began racing in 1977 at Hickory Motor Speedway, a track his father owned and operated. In his first race, he started in last place but finished in the ninth position. He competed in the Limited Sportsman Division at Hickory, before moving up to the NASCAR Busch Series.

Busch Series

Jarrett began racing in 1982 in the #24 Ford for Horace Isenhower. His best finish was a third at Hickory and he finished sixth in points that season, finishing in the top-ten fourteen times over the course of the season. He did not win a race in 1983, but won four poles and had seventeen top-fives moving into fifth in the standings. In 1984, the team received sponsorship from Econo Lodge, Valvoline, and Budweiser and had six front row starts and nineteen top-10's, finishing a career-best fourth in the final standings.

That same year, Jarrett made his Cup debut. Driving the #02 Chevrolet for Emanuel Zervakis at Martinsville Speedway, he qualified 24th and finished fourteenth. He made two more Cup starts that season, at the Firecracker 400 for Jimmy Means, and the Warner W. Hodgdon American 500. In 1986, Jarrett won six poles and his first career Busch race at Orange County Speedway in the Nationwise Auto Parts. He won his second career race at Hickory the next year, his final full-time season in Busch.

1987–1991

In 1987, Jarrett replaced Tommy Ellis in the #18 Chevrolet owned by Eric Freelander early in the season. Running a primarily-unsponsored car, he had two tenth-place finishes and ended the season 26th in points, second to Davey Allison for Rookie of the Year honors. He ran every race of the 1988 season, despite running with various teams. He made most of his starts in the #29 Hardee's Oldsmobile owned by Cale Yarborough, finishing eighth at Riverside International Raceway. He also ran races for Buddy Arrington and Hoss Ellington that season, finishing twenty-third in the final standings. He ran the entire season for Yarborough in 1989, posting five top-ten finishes, including two fifth-place runs.

Jarrett began 1990 without a ride before taking over the #21 Citgo Ford Thunderbird for Wood Brothers Racing at the Valleydale Meats 500, replacing the injured Neil Bonnett. He finished in the top-ten seven times during the season and finished 25th in the final standings despite missing the first five races of the season. The following season, Jarrett won his first career Winston Cup race at Michigan International Speedway, and finished a then career-best 17th in the final standings.

1992–1999

Despite the win, Jarrett left Wood Brothers to drive the #18 Interstate Batteries Chevy for the fledging Joe Gibbs Racing team. In their first year of competition, Jarrett had two top-fives but dropped to nineteenth in points. Jarrett won the 1993 Daytona 500 over Dale Earnhardt (commonly referred to as "The Dale and Dale Show") in a race called by his father Ned. While he did not win again that season, Jarrett had a total of thirteen top-fives and finished fourth in the final standings. The next season, Jarrett won the Mello Yello 500, but chose to step down from the Gibbs organization at the end of the season.

Jarrett signed to drive for Robert Yates in 1995, piloting the #28 Texaco Ford in place of an injured Ernie Irvan. He won his first race for Yates at Pocono Raceway and finished 13th in the final standings. When it was announced Irvan, who had returned toward the end of the year in a Texaco Havoline-sponsored Yates car numbered 88, would return to the 28 after a year-long absence due to injuries, Yates had planned to help Jarrett compete in his own team with Hooters sponsorship. The deal fell through, however, and Yates promoted the 88 car to full-time in Winston Cup, with Ford assuming sponsorship through its Quality Care Service and Ford Credit divisions. In 1996, Jarrett won the Daytona 500 for a second time, and finished in the top-2 in each of the first three races of the season. He also won the Coca-Cola 600 and the Brickyard 400 and finished third in the final standings behind the Hendrick Motorsports teammates Terry Labonte and Jeff Gordon. Jarrett's kissing of the bricks at Indianapolis started a tradition that has been used by every NASCAR team at the race since then, and at the Indianapolis 500 since 2003.

The following season, he won a career-best seven races but lost the championship to Jeff Gordon by fourteen points.

In 1998, Jarrett won three races, and finished second in the last two races of the year, ending up third in the final standings to Jeff Gordon, despite suffering gallbladder problems.(Which made him miss the exhibition race in Japan) After an offseason surgery, Jarrett returned in 1999 and took the points lead after his first win of the season at the Pontiac Excitement 400, and held it for the rest of the season, when he won his first career Winston Cup title by 201 points over Bobby Labonte. He also retired from the Busch Series to become a part-time owner, partnering with NFL quarterback Brett Favre to field the #11 Rayovac Ford for his son Jason, Yates teammate Kenny Irwin, Jr., and Steve Grissom. He had 11 wins in the Busch series when he retired.

2000–2005

Following his title in 1999, Jarrett won the Daytona 500 for the third time in 2000, but after only winning one other race and dropping to fourth in the standings, Ford elected to withdraw as a primary sponsor (although Ford Credit remained as a secondary sponsor). United Parcel Service was signed as the primary sponsor for Jarrett's car, and shortly thereafter UPS began a multi-year promotional campaign involving the company trying to convince him to drive their trademark "Big Brown Truck" in a race.

In 2001, he won three of the first eight races (Darlington, Texas, and Martinsville) of the season and resumed the points lead (trading it with Jeff Gordon, with the two of them having the same point totals for a few different weeks), but won only one more time over the course of the year and faded back to fifth in the standings. The year was a good year and bad year for Jarrett as he won four races (New Hampshire was the fourth win in July). The bad was a hard crash he suffered at the new Kansas Speedway where Jarrett suffered a minor concussion. Jarrett said in an interview that he does not remember being in the Protection One 400, he only remembers getting on the plane to go to the racetrack. After that season, Jarrett's long-time crew chief Todd Parrott departed and was replaced by Jimmy Elledge. After seven races of the 2002 season, Parrott rejoined Jarrett, who clinched two victories (Pocono and Michigan) and rebounded to ninth in the final standings after the poor start to the year.

In 2003, Jarrett began the season by winning at North Carolina Speedway, but only posted five more top-ten finishes, relegating him to 26th in the final standings. He rebounded in 2004 to finish 15th in points, despite not winning a race for the first time since 1992. In 2005, Jarrett got his last career win at Talladega Superspeedway, again finishing 15th in the standings.

2006 – 2008

thumb|left|2007 carthumb|right|2008 racecarthumb|right|Jarrett on a parade lap before his final points race as fans and crew applaud himDuring the 2006 season, Jarrett had four top-ten finishes, with a best finish of fourth at Kansas. His best starting position was second and he finished 23rd in points. It was his last year racing for Yates, as he and sponsor UPS left for Michael Waltrip Racing's new #44 Toyota team.

Jarrett started the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup season on a high note as he drew pole position for the annual exhibition race, the Budweiser Shootout, at the Daytona International Speedway. He finished 18th out of 21 cars. Since Jarrett's team was a brand new team and had no owner points, and due to a rule change, he was eligible to use the Past Champion's Provisional five times as his 1999 championship was the most recent among past champions who were driving for teams not in the top 35 in owner points; prior to the rule change the use of a Past Champion's Provisional was not limited.

Jarrett was forced to use all five of his provisionals at the start of the season, starting at Daytona. He started 43rd in the Daytona 500 and finished 22nd. Dale used his last champion's provisional at the Spring Talladega race, Aaron's 499. For the rest of 2007, Jarrett had to get into that weekend's race on time. Jarrett missed eleven races in 2007 as a result.

During an interview on Speed, Dale said after his contract is up with MWR (which was expected to be in the 2009 season), he would retire, but the timetable was pushed up in October 2007 prior to the 2007 Bank of America 500. Jarrett retired from points racing after the 2008 Food City 500, turning the #44 Toyota ride to David Reutimann. His final race was the All-Star race in May, 2008 after which he joined ESPN's NASCAR coverage full-time as a booth announcer.

However, Jarrett was not guaranteed to start the first five races using the champion's provisional as he had the year before as Kurt Busch, the 2004 champion, had his team's owner points transferred to his teammate Sam Hornish, Jr. and would be first to receive it. Jarrett started off 2008 with a 16th place finish at Daytona. He retired from points racing after the 2008 Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. At the weekend's pre-race driver's meeting, he spoke to the other drivers, saying

"Enjoy this. We all have our time in this, and mine has been fantastic. To me, it has been an honor and a privilege to be able to race in this series and say I raced with and against and sometimes beat the best in the world. Thanks for allowing me to do that. Enjoy it. It's a great sport, and you guys make it what it is."

Personal

Jarrett's brother-in-law is Jimmy Makar who was his crew chief when he drove the 18 car for Joe Gibbs Racing, he is married to Dale's sister Patty.

Jarrett is an avid golfer and has a 2 handicap in golf and in 2003 was once featured in a commercial with Phil Mickelson, Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky where they were golfing at Doral Golf Resort & Spa.

Jarrett is featured in commercials where he is persuaded to race the UPS Truck, in recent commercials he is featured with father Ned, in one commercial and in others he is trying out the features of the truck.

In NASCAR 2006: Total Team Control, the Big Brown Truck is unlockable as a paintjob for Jarrett.

Dale Jarrett was a member of the Coca-Cola Racing Family of Drivers when he raced.

Dale Jarrett and Hall-of-Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw are co-owners of the fantasy sports site http://www.PayTheFan.com

Dale Jarrett was featured in a commercial with Jackie Stewart as Jarrett's "mentor".

Dale Jarrett is the first cousin of USPSA/IPSC Champion Handgun Shooter, Todd Jarrett.

Dale Jarrett and former American football quarterback Brett Favre are co-owners of the Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure and Favre was a part owner of Dale Jarrett's Busch Series team.

Dale Jarrett also owns and operates a Ford dealership in Indian Trail, North Carolina, southeast of Charlotte.

Dale Jarrett now lives in Hickory NC

Dale Jarrett participated in the Olympic Torch Relay in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

References

Dale Jarrett Career Statistics

Dale Jarrett at Daytona 500 Racing

External links

Dale Jarrett official web site

NASCAR.com: Dale Jarrett

Dale Jarrett Fantasy Racing Blog

Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure

UPS Racing

Coca-Cola Racing Family's Dale Jarrett profile

Dale Jarrett Foundation

Dale Jarrett ESPN Bio

Category:1956 births Category:American Lutherans Category:American people of English descent Category:American racecar drivers Category:Brickyard 400 winners Category:Daytona 500 winners Category:International Race of Champions drivers Category:Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Category:Living people Category:Michael Waltrip Racing drivers Category:NASCAR Cup Series champions Category:NASCAR drivers Category:NASCAR owners Category:People from Catawba County, North Carolina Category:Wood Brothers Racing drivers

de:Dale Jarrett fr:Dale Jarrett id:Dale Jarrett nl:Dale Jarrett no:Dale Jarrett simple:Dale Jarrett sv:Dale Jarrett tl:Dale Jarrett

Name	Jimmie Kenneth Johnson
Birth date	September 17, 1975 |
Birth place	El Cajon, California |
Height
Weight
Achievements	2003, 2004, 2005 Coca Cola 600 Winner2004 Mountain Dew Southern 500 Winner2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 Sprint Cup Series Champion Sprint All-Star Race XIX, XXII Winner 2006 Daytona 500 Winner 2006, 2008, 2009 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard Winner
Awards	1998 ASA Rookie of the Year Off-road championships in SODA, SCORE and MTEG 2009 Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010 Driver of the Year
Cup car team	No. 48 – Hendrick Motorsports
Previous year	2010
Prev cup pos	1st
Best cup pos	1st – 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
Cup wins	54
Cup top tens	219
Cup poles	25
First cup race	2001 UAW-GM Quality 500 (Charlotte)
First cup win	2002 NAPA Auto Parts 500 (California)
Last cup win	2011 Aaron's 499 (Talladega)
Best busch pos	8th – 2001
Busch wins	1
Busch top tens	24
Busch poles	2
First busch race	1998 Kroger 200 (IRP)
First busch win	2001 Sam's Club Presents Hill Bros. Coffee 300 (Chicago)
Last busch win	2001 Sam's Club Presents Hill Bros. Coffee 300 (Chicago)
First truck race	2008 O'Reilly 200 (Bristol)
Best truck pos	104th – 2008
Updated	August 28, 2011 }}

Jimmie Kenneth Johnson (born September 17, 1975) is an American NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race car driver. He currently drives the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports.

Johnson was born in El Cajon, California, and began racing motorcycles at the age of five. After graduating from Granite Hills High School he competed in off-road series. He raced in Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group (MTEG), Short-course Off-road Drivers Association (SODA) and SCORE International, winning rookie of the year in each series. In 1998, Johnson and his team began stock car racing. He moved to the national American Speed Association (ASA) series for late model touring cars, and won another rookie of the year title. In 2000, he switched to the NASCAR Busch Series (now Nationwide Series).

He moved to Hendrick Motorsports in the Sprint Cup Series in 2002. After finishing fifth in the points in his first full season, he was second in 2003 and 2004 and fifth in 2005. Johnson won his first Cup series championship in 2006 and with further wins in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 became the only driver in NASCAR history to win five consecutive championships. Between 2002 and 2011, Johnson has recorded 54 wins, 214 top-tens, and 25 pole positions.

Johnson became the first racing driver to become Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year (U.S.) in 2009, and has won Driver of the Year four times, most recently in 2010.

Early and personal life

Johnson was born in El Cajon, California in September 1975. He attended Granite Hills High School, while he raced motorcycles during the weekends. He was a varsity water polo player, diver and swimmer and graduated in 1993. The number 48 is retired from all sports teams uniforms at his school and Johnson was inducted into the school's Athletic Hall of Fame. He has two younger brothers, Jarit and Jessie. Johnson lives in Charlotte, North Carolina like many other NASCAR drivers and is married with the former Chandra Janway, the two having known each other since 2002. In January 2010, Johnson signed a mini-series deal with HBO for a NASCAR based reality show 24/7 Jimmie Johnson: Race to Daytona. Cameras followed him from January 2010 to the 2010 Daytona 500. On January 4, 2010, the ''Associated Press'' reported that the Johnsons were expecting their first child, which was a girl, in July 2010. Afterward, Chandra gave birth to their daughter, Genevieve Marie on July 7, 2010.

Racing career

Beginnings

Johnson started racing motorcycles in 1980. Three years later he won the 60cc class championship, despite having an injured knee. Afterward, he moved to the Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group (MTEG) Stadium Racing Series where he won several more awards. In 1993, Johnson was given the opportunity to drive for Herb Fishel. He refused the deal and continued racing buggies and trucks in off-road stadium and desert races. He also reported for ESPN in the Short Course Off-Road Drivers Association (SODA). Three years later, Johnson drove for Herzog Motorsports in the off-road truck series in 1996. During his time in the SODA, SCORE and MTEG series, he accumulated over 25 wins, 100 top-three finishes, six championships, and received Rookie of the Year honors in all three leagues.

Two years later, he entered the American Speed Association (ASA), as well as the NASCAR Busch Series (now Nationwide Series). In the same year, Johnson won the ASA Pat Schauer Memorial Rookie title. One year later, he had two wins and finished third in the standings. In 2000, he was announced the driver for Herzog Motorsports in the Busch Series. During the season, he finished tenth in the point standings. During the 2001 season, Johnson recorded one win, which was at Chicagoland Speedway, and finished eighth in the point standings. He also began racing in the Winston Cup Series (now Sprint Cup Series) for Hendrick Motorsports. In the following season, Johnson left the Herzog Motorsports to move to Hendrick Motorsports in the Winston Cup Series.

Sprint Cup Series

Hendrick Motorsports

2002–2005

Johnson began racing full time in the Winston Cup Series during the 2002 season. During the season, he became the first rookie driver to lead the point standings, and the first rookie to win twice at the same track during a season. He recorded four pole positions and three wins (Auto Club 500, MBNA 400, MBNA America 400), as well as 6 top-fives and 21 top-tens. His first career win was during the Auto Club 500 at California Speedway, while his first pole position was in the 2002 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. At the end of the season he was able to finish fifth in the final point standings.

During 2003, Johnson finished ninth on the all-time list for consecutive weeks ranked in the top-10 in points with 69. He recorded three wins (Coca-Cola 600, New England 300, Sylvania 300), two pole positions, 14 top-fives, and 20 top-ten finishes, which he won both races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the season. He also was able to win The Winston at Lowe's Motor Speedway his first time, as well as finishing second to Matt Kenseth in the final point standings. His two pole positions in the season were at the Kansas Speedway and Pocono Raceway. In 2004, Johnson started slowly at Rockingham Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway with results of 41 and 16. However, he quickly was able to rebounded with a win at the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 at Darlington Raceway. Subsequent victories at the Coca-Cola 600 and the Pocono 500 came in the middle of the season. However, finishes of 37th and 32nd at Talladega Superspeedway and Kansas Speedway moved him toward the bottom of the point standings. Afterward he was able to win in the UAW-GM Quality 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. The second victory of the 2004 Chase for the Nextel Cup, at the Subway 500 in Martinsville, Virginia on October 24, 2004, was marred by tragedy. Owner Rick Hendrick's son (Ricky Hendrick), twin nieces, brother, and chief engine builder Randy Dorton as well as Joe Turner, Scott Lathram were killed in an airplane crash en route to the race. All eight passengers and both pilots died in the incident, and Johnson was told after completion of the race. Johnson had a total of eight wins during the season, as well as 20 top-five and 23 top-10 finishes. At the end of the season, Johnson finished second in the point standings.

In 2005, Johnson won at Las Vegas, Lowe's Motor Speedway, Dover International Speedway, and then again at Lowe's Motor Speedway. In total, Johnson had four consecutive wins at his sponsor (Lowe's) sponsored track in Charlotte, North Carolina. Johnson had a chance to win the championship coming into the November 20 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, but finished 5th in points after crashing at the midway point of the event with a tire problem. He recorded 13 top-fives, 22 top-10 finishes, and one pole position.

2006–2010

In 2006, Johnson began the season with a victory in the Daytona 500. He finished second at the next race at California Speedway and won the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Johnson was also able to win the Brickyard 400, as well as two other victories at Martinsville Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway in the season. During the season, he became the only driver in the modern era to win at least three races in each of his first five seasons. At the end of the season, he recorded one pole, 13 top-five and 24 top-10 finishes, as well as winning the championship title, which was his first in his NASCAR career. In December of the same year, Johnson was announced the 2006 Driver of the Year.

During the 2007 season, he recorded ten wins, four pole positions, 20 top-five, and 24 top-10 finishes. His wins include two races at Richmond International Raceway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, and Martinsville Speedway, as well as one at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, California Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway and Phoenix International Raceway. Afterward, he won his second consecutive title, as well as being named 2007 Driver of the Year. Johnson also had the best average finish in the Chase with a 5.0. At seasons end, he had a total of 33 wins, which was 18th at the time on the all time list. In 2008, Johnson became the second driver to win three consecutive Sprint Cup Series championships, with the other being Cale Yarborough. During the season, he managed to recored seven wins, a career high of six pole positions, 15 top-five and 22 top-10 finishes. Five of his seven wins, he started from the pole position, and he became the only driver to record three wins in each of their first seven seasons. In the Chase for the Sprint Cup, he had recorded 14 wins, eight more than any other driver. Also in the season, he was named 2008 Driver of the Year, and won an ESPY as the Best Driver. After the season, he also moved to third on the active winners list at the time.

In the 2009 season, Johnson recorded his fourth consecutive championship, becoming the only driver to do so. Throughout the season he had managed to win 7 races, earn 4 pole positions, and record 16 top-fives and 24 top-tens. He also became the only driver to win at least three races in each of their first eight seasons, as well as the only driver to qualify for the Chase for the Sprint Cup every year since 2004. During the season he became second on the active winners list, while 13th on the all time winners list. After the season concluded, he was awarded an ESPY for the second conecutive year, and won the Driver of the Year title for the third time, tying Jeff Gordon, Mario Andretti, and Darrell Waltrip as the only three time winners of the award. He also became the first auto racing driver to win the Associated Press's Athlete of the Year award.

During 2010, Johnson managed to win his fifth consecutive championship, becoming the third driver who made up points to win the title since 1975. In the season, he earned 2 pole positions, 17 top-fives, 23 top-tens, and won 6 races. He also remained the only driver to qualify for the Chase every year since its inception in 2004, and became tenth on the all time NASCAR win list. Johnson was also voted Driver of the Year for the fourth time in his NASCAR career, joining Gordon as four time winners of the award. He also managed to win Tony Stewart's charity race, the Prelude to the Dream, which was his first victory on a dirt oval.

2011

In 2011 Johnson began the season with a fourth place finish in the Budweiser Shootout, after starting from the 23rd position. One week later in the 2011 Daytona 500, started 23rd, but finished 27th after being involved in an accident. During the Subway Fresh Fit 500, he managed a third place finish. Following a 16th place finish after the Kobalt Tools 400 he collected two consecutive top-five finishes. Johnson received his first win of the 2011 season during the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway, edging Clint Bowyer by 0.002 seconds, tying with the closest finish in series history. After finishing in the first 15 positions in the next four races, Johnson failed to finish the Coca-Cola 600 after his engine failed. The next week, in the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400, Johnson spun off turn two, flattening multiple tires, and braking the sway bar which prompted him to a finish of 27th. During the Toyota/Save Mart 350, Johnson finished seventh after starting 12th on the grid. The finish moved Johnson to third in the Drivers' standings.

After returning to Daytona International Speedway for the Coke Zero 400, Johnson and team-mate Dale Earnhardt, Jr. ran together for most of the race, until Johnson pitted under the caution. Johnson fell down the grid and was involved in a last lap accident, prompting him to finish 20th. During the next two races, Johnson finished third and fifth in the Quaker State 400 and the Lenox Industrial Tools 301. Two weeks later, Johnson found himself finishing 19th during the Brickyard 400 after coming to pit road with 30 laps remaining in the event. Johnson finished fourth in the Good Sam RV Insurance 500, after bumping Kurt Busch on the final lap.

Race of Champions

Johnson first raced in the Race of Champions in Europe in 2002. He was eliminated in the first runoff by then world rally champion Marcus Grönholm of Finland but he and Jeff Gordon and Colin Edwards racing as Team USA won the teams' championship. He returned to the event two years later but lost the quarter finals 0–2 to Mattias Ekström of Sweden who was DTM German Touring Car champion that year.

Johnson entered the 2006 event but did not start due to injury received just days before the race. He still attended the event to cheer for team mate Travis Pastrana. In the 2007 event Johnson was eliminated before the quarter-finals by F1 driver Sébastien Bourdais of France.

Grand-Am

In 2004, he began his Grand-Am career in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, where he finished eighth. He also entered the event one year later, which his team, Howard-Boss Motorsports, managed to finish second. Two years later, he entered two events, which were both held at Daytona International Speedway. During the races, his team finished 9th and 19th. In 2008, Johnson moved to Bob Stallings Racing with Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty to race in the 2008 Rolex 24 at Daytona, where the team finished second. One year later, he returned with GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing for his fifth Rolex 24 appearance. During the race, his team managed to finish seventh. He returned to the team in 2010, to race in the Rolex 24 and Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen. During the Rolex 24 at Daytona his team finished 21st, while at Watkins Glen the team managed to finish sixth. He returned to the Rolex 24, in 2011 where his team managed to finish 15th.

The Jimmie Johnson Foundation

The Jimmie Johnson Foundation was launched by Johnson and his wife Chandra in 2006. The foundation helps children, families, and communities in need. In 2007, Johnson opened Jimmie Johnson’s Victory Lanes in Randleman, North Carolina, which is a four lane bowling center for campers at Pattie and Kyle Petty’s Victory Junction Gang Camp. The foundation supports several charities, including Habitat for Humanity, Hendrick Marrow Program, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and Victory Junction. Every year it holds a golf tournament in San Diego, which raises money to build Habitat for Humanity homes in Johnson's hometown. Since the beginning the tournament has raised a total of two million US$ to help fund several projects. During 2009 and 2010, the foundation awarded $1.5 million for the Education Champions Grants program. The money is given to public schools in California, Oklahoma, and North Carolina. It helps fund basic needs, such as technology, outdoor classrooms, playground construction, and reading programs. The foundation has also assisted the American Red Cross with disaster relief efforts.

Racing record

Sprint Cup Series

Results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

! Year

! Team

! No.

! Sponsor

! Make

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! 5

! 6

! 7

! 8

! 9

! 10

! 11

! 12

! 13

! 14

! 15

! 16

! 17

! 18

! 19

! 20

! 21

! 22

! 23

! 24

! 25

! 26

! 27

! 28

! 29

! 30

! 31

! 32

! 33

! 34

! 35

! 36

! NSCC

! Points

2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series>2001

! Hendrick Motorsports

48

! Lowe's

! Chevrolet

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bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

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! 37th

! 210

2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series>2002

! Hendrick Motorsports

48

! Lowe's

! Chevrolet

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bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

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! 5th

! 4625

2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series>2003

! Hendrick Motorsports

48

! Lowe's

! Chevrolet

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bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#EFCFFF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

! 2nd

! 4932

2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series>2004

! Hendrick Motorsports

48

! Lowe's

! Chevrolet

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#EFCFFF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#EFCFFF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#EFCFFF"

bgcolor="#EFCFFF"

bgcolor="#EFCFFF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#EFCFFF"

bgcolor="#EFCFFF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

! 2nd

! 4995

2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series>2005

! Hendrick Motorsports

48

! Lowe's

! Chevrolet

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#EFCFFF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#EFCFFF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#EFCFFF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#EFCFFF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#EFCFFF"

! 5th

! 4796

2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series>2006

! Hendrick Motorsports

48

! Lowe's

! Chevrolet

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#EFCFFF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

! 1st

! 6470

2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series>2007

! Hendrick Motorsports

48

! Lowe's

! Chevrolet

bgcolor="#EFCFFF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#EFCFFF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#EFCFFF"

bgcolor="#EFCFFF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

! 1st

! 5202

2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series>2008

! Hendrick Motorsports

48

! Lowe's

! Chevrolet

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#EFCFFF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

! 1st

! 5220

2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series>2009

! Hendrick Motorsports

48

! Lowe's

! Chevrolet

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#EFCFFF"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

! 1st

! 5156

2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series>2010

! Hendrick Motorsports

48

! Lowe's

! Chevrolet

bgcolor="#EFCFFF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#EFCFFF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#EFCFFF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#EFCFFF"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

! 1st

! 6622

2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series>2011

! Hendrick Motorsports

48

! Lowe's

! Chevrolet

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#EFCFFF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

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! 2nd*

! 830*

Season in progress.

Summary

Races 3 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 24 351

Season	|	Wins	Poles	Top 5	Top 10	DNF	Finish	Start	Points	Position	Team(s)
2001	|	0	0	0	0	1	31.0	22.0	210	52nd	Hendrick Motorsports
2002	|	3	4	6	21	3	13.5	14.3	4625	5th	Hendrick Motorsports
2003	|	3	2	14	20	3	11.4	12.3	4932	2nd	Hendrick Motorsports
2004	|	8	1	20	23	7	12.1	10.5	4995	2nd	Hendrick Motorsports
2005	|	4	1	13	22	5	12.7	12.2	4796	5th	Hendrick Motorsports
2006	|	5	1	13	24	1	9.7	10.8	6470	1st	Hendrick Motorsports
2007	|	10	4	20	24	4	10.8	9.8	5202	1st	Hendrick Motorsports
2008	|	7	6	15	22	1	10.5	8.5	5220	1st	Hendrick Motorsports
2009	|	7	4	16	24	1	11.1	8.2	5156	1st	Hendrick Motorsports
2010	|	6	2	17	23	4	12.7	9.1	6622	1st	Hendrick Motorsports
2011	|	1	0	10	16	1	10.8	14.2	830*	2nd*	Hendrick Motorsports
colspan=12 bgcolor=#808080 height="5px"
Totals	|	54	25	144	219	31	11.7	11.0

Season in progress.

References

External links

Team Lowe's Racing: Jimmie Johnson's official web site

The Jimmie Johnson Foundation

Jimmie Johnson at Twitter

Johnson's career statistics from Driver Database

_}} }}

Category:1975 births Category:24 Hours of Daytona drivers Category:American racecar drivers Category:American Speed Association drivers Category:Brickyard 400 winners Category:Daytona 500 winners Category:Hendrick Motorsports drivers Category:International Race of Champions drivers Category:Living people Category:NASCAR Cup Series champions Category:NASCAR drivers Category:Off-road racers Category:People from San Diego, California Category:Racecar drivers from California Category:Sportspeople from California

ace:Jimmie Johnson af:Jimmie Johnson ar:جيمي جونسون be:Джымі Джонсан Кэнэт be-x-old:Джымі Джонсан Кэнэт ca:Jimmie Johnson da:Jimmie Johnson de:Jimmie Johnson es:Jimmie Johnson fr:Jimmie Johnson id:Jimmie Johnson it:Jimmie Johnson jv:Jimmie Johnson ht:Jimmie Johnson lv:Džimijs Džonsons mk:Џими Кенет Џонсон ms:Jimmie Johnson nl:Jimmie Johnson ja:ジミー・ジョンソン (ドライバー) no:Jimmie Johnson pl:Jimmie Johnson pt:Jimmie Johnson ru:Джонсон, Джимми sq:Jimmie Johnson simple:Jimmie Johnson su:Jimmie Johnson fi:Jimmie Johnson sv:Jimmie Johnson tl:Jimmie Johnson tr:Jimmie Johnson uk:Джиммі Кеннет Джонсон vi:Jimmie Johnson

name	Daniel Clive Wheldon
nationality	British |
birth date	June 22, 1978
birth place	Emberton, Olney, England, United Kingdom
current series	IRL IndyCar Series
first year	2002
current team	Bryan Herta Autosport
car number	98
former teams	Chip Ganassi RacingAndretti Green RacingPanther Racing
starts	128
wins	16
poles	5
best finish	1st
year	2005
prev series	Indy LightsToyota Atlantic ChampionshipU.S. F2000 Championship Series
prev series years	200120001999
titles	IRL IndyCar Series Champion
title years	2005
awards	IRL IndyCar Series Rookie of the YearIndianapolis 500 WinnerIndianapolis 500 Winner
award years	200320052011 }}

Daniel Clive Wheldon (born 22 June 1978) is an English auto racing driver. He was the 2005 Indy Racing League IndyCar Series champion, and winner of the Indianapolis 500 in 2005 and 2011. He currently resides in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Beginnings

Wheldon, who was born in Emberton, near Olney, Buckinghamshire, England, took up karting at the age of four with funding from his father, he progressed through the junior ranks of motor racing during his school years. Attending Bedford School until he completed his GCSEs at age 16, he frequently took time off to race. During his early career in open wheel racing, he developed a rivalry with Jenson Button before ultimately leaving the United Kingdom to race in America. The reasoning behind the move was that the level of investment needed to fund his racing career in the UK wasn't able to be provided by his family. Moving to the United States in 1999, he spent several years in lower open-wheeled circuits like the U.S. F2000 Championship Series, the Toyota Atlantic series and the Indy Lights series.

IRL IndyCar Series

In 2002, Wheldon moved up to the IRL IndyCar Series for two events, with Panther Racing as teammate to Sam Hornish, Jr.. The following year Wheldon joined Andretti Green Racing, taking the spot of Michael Andretti following his retirement, and collected league Rookie of the Year honours. In 2004, he won his first IRL race at Twin Ring Motegi in Japan, ultimately finishing as runner-up to teammate Tony Kanaan in the championship with three wins.

He won the 2005 Indianapolis 500 as well as that season's IndyCar Series championship. His six victories in 2005 also broke the record for most victories in one season (under IRL sanction), previously held by Sam Hornish, Jr. with 5. His win at Indy was the first for an Englishman since Graham Hill's triumph in 1966. In November 2005, it was announced that he would be driving for Chip Ganassi Racing in the IndyCar Series in 2006. Shortly after his first test with Ganassi, he won the 24 Hours of Daytona endurance sports car race with Ganassi teammates Scott Dixon and Ganassi NASCAR driver Casey Mears.

He began the IndyCar season by beating Hélio Castroneves by 0.0147 seconds at Homestead-Miami, a somber race due to the earlier death of Paul Dana in a practice session. Wheldon retired at St. Petersburg thanks to contact with Sam Hornish, Jr. during a caution period. At the end of the 2006 IndyCar season, Wheldon and Hornish were tied for the lead with each driver having 475 points. In the event of a tie, the driver with the most wins for that particular season is declared the champion. Hornish had four wins for the 2006 season, to Wheldon's two; therefore Hornish was declared the 2006 IndyCar champion.

During the close season he was offered a place in the BMW Sauber Formula One team, but declined on discovering he would not be assured a regular drive. "I do want to race in F1. When my contract expires with Chip, I’ll take a serious look at Formula One".

Commenting in 2007 on the perception of him as 'difficult', Wheldon said "I put everything into my racing, and I expect the same back. If I see people who aren't giving it I'm not afraid to say so, but that sometimes comes out a little brash. That could be improved a little bit."

On 22 June 2008, his 30th birthday, he took his 15th career victory in the IndyCar Series after winning the 2008 Iowa Corn Indy 250 over Hideki Mutoh and Marco Andretti. He donated his winnings to help the victims of the recent tornadoes and flooding which had occurred in Iowa.

Wheldon was released from his drive at Ganassi on 2 September 2008. He was replaced by Dario Franchitti; "I have enjoyed these last three seasons with Target Chip Ganassi Racing, but will be moving on to pursue a very exciting opportunity for 2009," Wheldon said. It would later turn out to be a return to former team Panther Racing. Wheldon drove the Panther car to a second place finish in the 2009 Indianapolis 500, the second Indy 500 runner-up finish in a row for the team. However, his strong start to the season faded and Wheldon failed to crack the Top 10 in 7 of the last 8 races of the year. The following year Wheldon again showed strong at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, finishing second at the 2010 Indianapolis 500. This gave Panther its third straight runner-up finish at Indy. This time, Wheldon remained competitive all year, challenging for wins on the oval tracks.

Despite strong showings in the Panther Racing #4 car, Wheldon still failed to win a race during his time with the team. This led to his being replaced at Panther Racing by the young American driver (and 2009 Indy Lights champion) J.R. Hildebrand. Wheldon attempted and won the 2011 Indianapolis 500 with Bryan Herta Autosport in stunning and ironic fashion after inheriting the lead with metres to go after Hildebrand wrecked going into the final turn trying to get around the decelerating Charlie Kimball with too much velocity, being the first driver in Indy history to win the race by leading a single lap. Wheldon was very emotional after the win, due to not having a ride for the rest of the season and concerning his mother who had recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease, to whom he partially dedicated his victory. It was Wheldon's first series win in three seasons.

Other appearences

Dan Wheldon was a guest star in the voice cast for the TV series ''Hot Wheels Battle Force 5''.

Personal life

Wheldon married his long-time personal assistant, Susie Behm, in 2008. They have 2 sons: Sebastian , who was born on 1 February 2009, and Oliver, born 19 March 2011. The family lives in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Motorsports career results

American open–wheel racing results

(key)

IndyCar Series

! Year

! Team

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! 5

! 6

! 7

! 8

! 9

! 10

! 11

! 12

! 13

! 14

! 15

! 16

! 17

! 18

! 19

! Rank

! Points

! Panther Racing

HMS

PHX

FON

NZR

TXS

PPIR

RIR

KAN

NSH

MIS

KTY

STL

!

!

!

!

! Andretti Green Racing

HMS

PHX

bgcolor="#EFCFFF"

!

!

!

! Andretti Green Racing

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

!

!

!

! Andretti Green Racing

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

!

!

! Chip Ganassi Racing

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#EFCFFF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

!

!

!

!

!

! Chip Ganassi Racing

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#CFEAFF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#EFCFFF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#EFCFFF"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

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bgcolor="#CFEAFF"

bgcolor="#CFEAFF"

bgcolor="#CFEAFF"

bgcolor="#EFCFFF"

bgcolor="#EFCFFF"

bgcolor="#CFEAFF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#EFCFFF"

!

!

rowspan=2

! Chip Ganassi Racing

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#FFFFFF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#EFCFFF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#CFEAFF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#CFEAFF"

! Panther Racing

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

! Panther Racing

bgcolor="#EFCFFF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#CFEAFF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#CFEAFF"

bgcolor="#CFEAFF"

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#CFEAFF"

bgcolor="#CFEAFF"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#EFCFFF"

bgcolor="#CFEAFF"

bgcolor="#EFCFFF"

!

!

! Panther Racing

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

bgcolor="#EFCFFF"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#CFEAFF"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#CFEAFF"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#CFEAFF"

bgcolor="#CFEAFF"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#CFCFFF"

bgcolor="#EFCFFF"

bgcolor="#DFDFDF"

bgcolor="#FFDF9F"

bgcolor="#CFEAFF"

bgcolor="#CFEAFF"

!

!

! Bryan Herta Autosport

bgcolor="#FFFFBF"

!

: ''* Season still in progress.'' : ''^a Wheldon lost the title on the tiebreaker - he won only two races compared to Sam Hornish, Jr.'s four after the two tied on 475 points'' : ''¹ Run on same day'' : ''² Non-points race''

! Years	! Teams	! Races	! Poles	! Wins	! Podiums(Non-win)**	! Top 10s(Non-podium)***	! Indianapolis 500Wins	! Championships
9	4	129	5	16	25	48	2 (
! Year	! Chassis	! Engine	! Start	! Finish	! Team	! Summary
	[[Dallara">2005 Indianapolis 500

: ** Podium (Non-win) indicates 2nd or 3rd place finishes. : *** Top 10s (Non-podium) indicates 4th through 10th place finishes.

Indianapolis 500

! Year	! Chassis	! Engine	! Start	! Finish	! Team	! Summary
	[[Dallara	Honda			Andretti Green	Wrecked in turn 4, flipped
	Dallara	Honda			Andretti Green	Running
	Dallara	Honda			Andretti Green	Running; 157.603 mph
	Dallara	Honda			Chip Ganassi Racing	Running
	Dallara	Honda			Chip Ganassi Racing	Crashed on backstretch
	Dallara	Honda			Chip Ganassi Racing	Running
	Dallara	Honda			Panther Racing	Running
	Dallara	Honda			Panther Racing	Running
	Dallara	Honda			Bryan Herta Autosport	Running; 170.265 mph

References

External links

Official Site

IndyCar Driver Page

Audio Interview with Dan Wheldon Dan Wheldon talks about his karting days

Recent Audio Interview with Dan Wheldon Dan Wheldon looks forward to a new challenge

ESPN Profile

Category:1978 births Category:24 Hours of Daytona drivers Category:Atlantic Championship drivers Category:BRDC Gold Star winners Category:English racecar drivers Category:Formula Ford drivers Category:Indianapolis 500 drivers Category:Indy 500 winners Category:Indy Lights drivers Category:Indy Racing League drivers Category:Living people Category:McLaren Autosport BRDC Award nominees Category:Old Bedfordians Category:People from Olney, Buckinghamshire

de:Dan Wheldon es:Dan Wheldon fr:Dan Wheldon it:Dan Wheldon nl:Dan Wheldon ja:ダン・ウェルドン pl:Dan Wheldon pt:Dan Wheldon sv:Dan Wheldon

name	Anthony Wayne Stewart
birth date	May 20, 1971
birth place	Columbus, Indiana
cup car team	14 – Stewart Haas Racing
previous year	2010
prev cup pos	7th
best cup pos	1st – 2002, 2005
cup wins	39
cup top tens	247
cup poles	12
first cup race	1999 Daytona 500 (Daytona)
first cup win	1999 Exide NASCAR Select Batteries 400 (Richmond)
last cup win	2010 Pepsi Max 400 (California)
first busch race	1996 Goody's Headache Powder 300 (Daytona)
first busch win	2005 Hershey's Take 5 300 (Daytona)
last busch win	2011 DRIVE4COPD 300 (Daytona)
busch car team	4 – Kevin Harvick Inc.
prev busch year	2010
prev busch pos	93rd
best busch pos	21st – 1998
busch wins	10
busch top tens	39
busch poles	6
first truck race	1996 Cummins 200 (IRP)
first truck win	2002 Virginia Is For Lovers 200 (Richmond)
last truck win	2003 Virginia Is For Lovers 200 (Richmond)
best truck pos	61st – 2005
truck wins	2
truck top tens	5 |
Achievements	1995 USAC Triple Crown Champion 1997 IRL Champion 2002 / 2005 Nextel Cup Series Champion 2005 / 2007 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard Winner 2006 IROC XXX Champion NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race XXV winner
Awards	1991 USAC Rookie of the Year 1996 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year 1996 IRL Rookie of the Year 1999 Winston Cup Rookie of the Year Inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame
updated	January 11, 2011 }}

nationality	American
birth date	May 20, 1971
birth place	Columbus, Indiana
retired	2001
last series	IndyCar Series
years active	1996–2001
starts	26
teams	Team Menard Tri-Star Racing Chip Ganassi Racing
wins	3
poles	8
best finish	1st
year	1997 }}

Anthony Wayne "Tony" Stewart (born May 20, 1971) is an American auto racing driver and owner. Throughout his racing career, Stewart has won titles in Indy cars and stock cars, as well as midget, sprint and USAC Silver Crown cars, giving him the recognition of "one of the finest racers of his generation."

Stewart currently owns and drives the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1/Burger King Chevrolet Impala in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for his own team, Stewart-Haas Racing under crew chief Darian Grubb. From 1999 until 2008, he drove the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing car, under crew chief Greg Zipadelli, with The Home Depot as the primary sponsor. His ten year tenure with the same team, sponsor, and crew chief is a NASCAR record. Stewart is also the only driver to win both the Winston Cup under the old points system, and the Nextel Cup under the chase playoff format, winning those championships in 2002 and 2005 respectively. As of the 2010 season, his 2005 Cup title marks the last time a driver other than Jimmie Johnson has won the points championship.

Early life

Tony Stewart was born in Columbus, Indiana on May 20, 1971, and attended Columbus North High School during his youth. He grew up racing go karts and was successful very early, winning a World Karting Association championship in 1987. He moved up to the United Midget Racing Association (UMRA)where he raced TQ (three quarter) midgets until 1991, when he again moved up this time to the United States Auto Club (USAC) series with help from one of his karting sponsors and friend Mark Dismore. Stewart was the USAC Rookie of the Year in 1991, fifth in 1993 after winning the Hut Hundred, and was the National Midget series champion in 1994.

In 1995, Stewart became the first driver to win USAC's version of the Triple Crown, earning championships in all three of USAC's major divisions, National Midget, Sprint, and Silver Crown. The highlights of the year were winning the Hut Hundred and 4-Crown Nationals.

When he wasn't racing IndyCars, he raced stock cars. In 1996, Tony made his NASCAR Busch Series debut, driving for car owner Harry Rainer. In nine races, however, he had only a best finish of 16th place. He had more success in a one-time ride in the Craftsman Truck Series, where he finished 10th.

Tony was poised to improve his Indy Racing League (IRL) standing in 1997, but struggled with finishing at times. He failed to finish the first three races of a ten race schedule, but recovered to finish second at Phoenix. At that year's Indy 500, Stewart had a good enough car to win his first IRL race, leading 64 laps. However, he trailed off near the end of the race and settled for 5th. Tony finally got his first career win at Pikes Peak, where he led all but seven laps of a 200 lap race. He became the leading contender for the series' championship after a bad slump knocked points leader Davey Hamilton out of first place. Despite an average end to his season, finishing 7th, 14th, and 11th, and five DNFs, Stewart did just enough to beat Hamilton for the IRL title. He also raced in a few midget events, finishing thirteenth and eleventh in the 1997 and 1998 USAC national points, and winning the Copper Classic both years. Between his time in USAC and the IRL, Stewart earned the nickname of Smoke, first for slipping the right rear tire during dirt races, and for blowing his engine often during his '97 championship run.

As he had done the previous year, he raced a handful of Busch Series races. This time, he was racing for Joe Gibbs, NFL Hall of Fame head coach of the Washington Redskins who was having major success with driver Bobby Labonte in Winston Cup. When Stewart was able to finish races, he finished in the top 10, and had a 3rd place finish at Charlotte. Stewart so impressed Gibbs that he was signed to drive the majority of the Busch schedule in 1998 to go along with a full-time IRL schedule. The double duty did not affect his performance in either series. In the IRL, he won twice and finished 3rd in the championship. His season was something of a disappointment, especially as he finished last in the Indy 500 because of an engine failure.

On the Busch side, he finished in the top-five five times in 22 starts. He came extremely close to winning his first Busch Series race at Rockingham, but was beaten on a last lap pass by Matt Kenseth. Stewart finished a solid 2nd place in 2 (of 31) starts, ahead of six drivers with more starts, and had an average finish that was comparable to some of the series' top 10 finishers. Gibbs had enough confidence in Tony that he was moved into Cup for the 1999 season. With that move, Stewart ended his three year career as a full time IRL driver.

IndyCar

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Indy 500 results

! Year	! Chassis	! Engine	! Start	! Finish	! Team
			1st	24th
		Oldsmobile	2nd	5th
	Dallara	Oldsmobile	4th	33rd
	Dallara	Oldsmobile	24th	9th
		Oldsmobile	7th	6th

NASCAR Cup years

1999 season

Stewart started his Winston Cup career in 1999 with a bang, as he qualified his #20 Home Depot Pontiac in second place in his first Cup race, the Daytona 500. He showed courage in one of the Gatorade Twin 125 races, when involved in a great battle with Dale Earnhardt for the win. The Intimidator came out on top, but Stewart had nonetheless impressed quite a few people with his performance. In the 500 itself, Stewart ran near the front until problems with the car relegated him to a 28th place finish.

Stewart spent most of his rookie season wowing people, as his car was often in the top 5. He won a pair of pole positions at short tracks, and set a series record for victories by a rookie with three, Richmond, Phoenix and Homestead. (Stewart's record would hold until 2002, when Jimmie Johnson duplicated the feat by winning three times; Carl Edwards won four times in his first full Cup season but was not regarded as a rookie by NASCAR standards.) He finished his first year an unprecedented 4th in points, the highest points finish by a rookie in the modern era (which held until 2006 when his then-teammate Denny Hamlin finished 3rd), and only bested by James Hylton, who finished 2nd as a first-timer in 1966. Not surprisingly, he ran away with the Winston Cup Rookie of the Year award.

Stewart also attempted to race on Memorial Day weekend, as he competed in both the Indy 500 during the day and the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte, N.C., at night. He finished in the top 10 at both races; ninth in the 1999 Indy 500 and fourth at Lowe's Motor Speedway. However, he only completed of the scheduled 1,100. 1999 Wins Richmond Phoenix Homestead

2000 season

Stewart showed no signs of a sophomore slump in Winston Cup in 2000, winning six races at Martinsville, New Hampshire, Michigan, Homestead and 2 at Dover. However, he "slipped" to sixth place in the standings because of a handful of DNFs and an increase in the number of competitive drivers, among them his teammate Labonte, who won the Cup championship. Tony also began to get some bad press for his on-track incidents. The best known of these came at Watkins Glen, when he and Jeff Gordon tangled and crashed. Stewart made his displeasure toward Gordon known in an obscenity-laden tirade. Stewart won the Turkey Night Grand Prix midget car event at Irwindale, California, which he called, “one of his greatest wins ever." 2000 Wins Martinsville, New Hampshire, Michigan, Homestead, and 2 at Dover

2001 season

Stewart's 2001 season got off to a frightening start, as he was involved in a spectacular crash in the Daytona 500 where his car violently flipped over several times toward the middle of the race that also had the final-lap crash that killed Dale Earnhardt. He walked away unscathed, recovered to win three more races at Richmond, Infineon and Bristol, and, as he'd done before, ran near the front most of the season. Statistically, he had a worse season than 2000, but he was the runner-up to Gordon for the Cup championship.

For the second time he ran "The Double" on Memorial Day Weekend, in spite of a 17 minute rain delay at Indianapolis. He finished 6th in the Indianapolis 500 and 3rd in the Coca-Cola 600, running all of the two races.

The 2001 season was not without controversy, however. Jeff Gordon pulled a "bump and run" on Stewart to gain a better finishing position in a race in Bristol, and it resulted in Stewart retaliating in a post-race incident by spinning Gordon out on pit road. Stewart was fined and placed on probation by NASCAR. He got into further trouble at Daytona, when he confronted a Winston Cup official after ignoring a black flag. At the same race, he also got into an incident with a reporter, kicking away a tape recorder. He confronted the same NASCAR official at the race in Talladega after refusing to wear a mandated head-and-neck restraint. Stewart was not allowed to practice until wearing one and only managed to practice after his crew chief, Greg Zipadelli intervened. His fines and probation periods resulting from these incidents have earned Stewart a reputation of having a hot-temper, and he became NASCAR's "bad boy". 2001 Wins Richmond Infineon Bristol

2002 season

Tony started 2002 even more inauspiciously than in the previous season, as his Daytona 500 lasted just two laps due to a blown engine. He went on to win twice early in the season at Atlanta and Richmond but was only seventh in the points standings at the halfway point of the season. The second half of his season was plagued by an altercation with a photographer after the Brickyard 400. NASCAR put Stewart on probation for the rest of the season. He went on to win the very next week at Watkins Glen, and went on a hot streak in the final races, finishing consistently in the top five. At the end of the year, Stewart held off a charging Mark Martin to win his first Winston Cup championship. 2002 Wins Atlanta Richmond Watkins Glen

2003 season

As defending champion, Stewart managed to have a relatively incident-free 2003. Driving a Chevrolet instead of his previous Pontiac (Gibbs switched manufacturers), Stewart actually had his worst Cup season (until the 2006 season), but it was still good enough for seventh in the points. He only won twice that season at Pocono and Charlotte but led more laps than he had the previous year and was highly competitive in the final races of the year. 2003 Wins Pocono Charlotte

2004 season

The 2004 season was highlighted by first victory coming at Chicagoland as well as his second victory at Watkins Glen. Stewart qualified fourth for the first ever Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup. However an incident at the first race of The Chase at Loudon dashed hopes of a second series title.

In November, Stewart became the owner of one of the most legendary short tracks in America, Eldora Speedway. Located in New Weston, Ohio, Eldora is a half-mile dirt track known to many as "Auto Racing's Showcase Since 1954." Stewart began racing there in 1991 and continues racing in special events alongside other Nextel Cup drivers and dirt track legends.

In 2004, Stewart teamed with Englishman Andy Wallace and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in a Boss Motorsports Chevrolet to take fourth in the 24 Hours of Daytona sports car race. The result does not show the trio's performance, however: They had dominated the race until the last two hours, when the suspension cracked. With 15 minutes left in the race, and with Stewart at the wheel, one of the rear wheels came off, finally ending their run. In addition to placing fourth overall, the trio placed third in the Daytona Prototype class.

2005 season

2005 was one of Stewart's most successful years in the Nextel Cup. He won five races, at Infineon, Daytona, New Hampshire, Watkins Glen and the Allstate 400 at his hometown track, a race that Stewart said he would give up his championship to win, and took with it the No. 1 seed heading into NASCAR's Chase for the Nextel Cup 10-race playoff.

On August 16 Stewart was fined $5,000 for hitting the car of Brian Vickers, after the completion of the Busch Series Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen International. Stewart was driving a Busch series car owned by Kevin Harvick Incorporated at the time. Stewart also was placed on probation until December 31.

Following his second win of the season, Stewart began climbing the fence separating the fans from the race track after each victory, borrowing IndyCar Series driver Hélio Castroneves' trademark move. After winning the 2009 All-Star race Tony was quoted as saying "I'm too damn fat to be climbing fences," and recently purchased $17,000 worth of exercise equipment to remedy the problem. It also led to sponsor Home Depot cashing in on Stewart's success with some promotions reminiscent of Stewart's Eldora Speedway drivers. After his second full climb of the fence in Loudon, N.H., they ran a discount on ladders and fencing at the stores with a campaign named, "Hey Tony, we've got ladders," where anyone who presented the advertisement in national newspapers in their stores earned the discount. After his victory in Indianapolis, Home Depot presented fans who presented the advertisement of his Allstate 400 win with a discount on purchasing bricks. He mentioned in a press release from his sponsor, "I plan to keep winning races and helping to drive down the cost of home improvement for The Home Depot customers."

On November 20, Stewart won his second NASCAR Nextel Cup Championship, joining Jeff Gordon as the only active, full-time drivers at the time to have won multiple championships. Jimmie Johnson afterward did so from 2006–2010. He also is one of the youngest drivers to win multiple championships and the only driver to have won championships under both the Chase and non-Chase formats. During the 2005 season, Stewart won a total of $13,578,168, including $6,173,633 for winning the championship, the largest season total in NASCAR history. Stewart also went through training to become a deputy sheriff in Alabama.

2006 season

Stewart's 2006 season was very much up and down. He had competitive cars and scored early wins at Daytona and Martinsville. However he also had strings of bad luck. He also suffered a shoulder injury due to two heavy crashes in both the Busch and Cup races at Charlotte during the Memorial Day Weekend races (Stewart's Busch car hit the Turn 4 wall so hard it even knocked the rear end off the car). During the Dover race, he was substituted by Ricky Rudd, and in later weeks had to drive in pain.

Additionally he has once again been involved in several on track controversies.

Following a rough Bud Shootout on February 12, Stewart expressed concern to the media about the possibility of aggressive driving resulting in the serious injury or death of a driver. It came during a week in which the racing world remembered the fifth anniversary of the death of legend Dale Earnhardt, who died on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. Just a few days after Stewart's comments to the media, during the 48th running of the Daytona 500, he was involved in a number of incidents with Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth, who he chased halfway across the track to run into the grass. "He has no room to complain," Stewart said of his brush with Kenseth. "He started it, and I finished it".

On May 20 during NASCAR's All Star Race, Stewart and Kenseth wrecked again. Each driver claimed it was the other one's fault with Stewart saying, "if (Kenseth) thinks it's my fault and I (caused the wreck) he's screwed up in his head." Following the wreck, several media outlets proclaimed the new Stewart-Kenseth rivalry as must-see TV. The so-called rivalry was short-lived as Kenseth and Stewart participated as friends in a joint promotional tour for DeWalt and The Home Depot; Kenseth also appeared in September at Stewart's Eldora Speedway in the NEXTEL PRELUDE with NASCAR drivers, as well as the ARCA Truck Series event there.

On July 23, Stewart once again was at the center of a media storm. On lap 31 of the Pennsylvania 500, Stewart was accidentally squeezed against the wall by fellow driver Clint Bowyer. Stewart responded by waving his hand in anger, then purposely hitting Bowyer's car. This contact sent Bowyer spinning down the front stretch where he collided with Carl Edwards. Stewart was promptly held one lap by NASCAR for rough driving. He did however pass leader Ryan Newman to get back on the lead lap and eventually rallied to finish 7th and get back in the top 10 in the point standings. After initially refusing to take responsibility for the incident he apologized the next day.

Tony Stewart missed the cut to qualify for the 2006 Chase for the Nextel Cup by 16 points. He finished poorly at Richmond after wrecking his primary car in practice, and was displaced in the top ten by Kasey Kahne. As a result, he finished the 2006 season 11th in points, his worst thus far in his career, as he had completed each of his seven previous seasons in the top ten in points. Commenting on not being in the 2006 Chase, he says: “It lets us have the ability to take chances and try things ... that we've been wanting to try but just haven't had the luxury to do it. If we were in the Chase we wouldn't have that ability”. Stewart won three races in the 2006 Chase (Kansas, Atlanta, and Texas).

The season wasn't totally unkind to Stewart, however. He was a participant in the 30th season of IROC and won 2 of the 4 races (Texas, and the Daytona road course) on his way to capturing the series championship. He won a million dollars for the effort, but made an offer to return his prize money if IROC would hold one of its events at his Eldora Speedway. This offer was not entertained as IROC folded in 2007. In addition, Stewart's three wins in the Chase races gave him five total for the season, tying him with Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick for second most in Nextel Cup behind Kasey Kahne's six.

2007 Season

His 2007 racing season started out with Stewart winning his second Chili Bowl Nationals midget car feature. Tony started off the Daytona Speedweeks with a win in the 2007 Budweiser Shootout. It was his third win in the race. He also won his qualifying race for the Daytona 500.

On lap 152 of the Daytona 500, the rear of Stewart's car slid up the track, and when he tried to cut down the track, he smacked the front of Kurt Busch's car knocking both of them out of the race. Tony and the Busch brothers (Kurt and Kyle) were the three leaders for the majority of the race.

On March 22, 2007, it was released that Stewart would be on the cover of the official NASCAR video game published by Electronic Arts, "NASCAR 08". This would be the third time this honor was given to Stewart (2001, 2004, 2008).

In his first Car of Tomorrow race with the Impala SS, Stewart was dominant at Bristol, leading 257 of 504 laps (green-white-checker finish), before he experienced a fuel pump problem. At the third Car of Tomorrow race at Phoenix, Stewart lead a race high 154 laps, but a late race caution moved Stewart to second, where he finished behind Jeff Gordon. In the following week, Stewart implied the cautions were "bogus" and that NASCAR is rigged like professional wrestling.

On June 4, 2007, Stewart and Kurt Busch had an incident on pit road in the Autism Speaks 400 at Dover. Busch passed Stewart on the inside. Busch then slid up, which caused contact, sending him into the wall, knocking out Busch, but with Stewart staying in the race. Under the caution, Stewart was on pit road in his pit box when Kurt Busch pulled alongside to express his feelings over the incident. One of Stewart's crewmen had to jump out of the way of Kurt's car to avoid being hit.

At the All-Star Challenge at Charlotte, he finished 5th behind Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin, and Jeff Burton. At the Coca-Cola 600, Stewart finished sixth, after having to come in to pit for fuel.

On July 15, 2007, Stewart led a race high 108 laps and recorded his 30th career NEXTEL Cup win at the USG Sheetrock 400 at Joliet.

On July 29, 2007, after leading a race high 66 of 160 laps, Stewart won the "Allstate 400 at the Brickyard" race at Indianapolis, just 45 minutes from where he grew up. During the victory lane interview, Stewart was penalized 25 points and fined $25,000 for violating NASCAR's policy on the use of obscene language during interviews during the race.

On August 12, 2007, he won the Centurion Boats at the Glen at Watkins Glen after Jeff Gordon spun his car around after wheel hopping in turn 1 with two laps to go.

2008 Season

Stewart began the 2008 season starting 6th for the 50th running of the Daytona 500, and was only able to come up with a 3rd place finish after being passed on the last lap by Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch.

On lap 109 of the UAW-Dodge 400, Stewart cut a tire and slammed into the turn 3 wall. Stewart came out of the car under his own power, but was helped to the ambulance where he was taken to the infield care center. Stewart had complained about a sore foot from a wreck which occurred the day before in the Nationwide Series race at Las Vegas. Stewart was later announced okay and ripped on Goodyear for not bringing quality tires. The next week at the Kobalt Tools 500, Stewart commented that "Goodyear doesn't give a fuck about tire quality."

With 3 laps to go in the 2008 Coca-Cola 600, Stewart cut a tire and saved it from contact with the wall. However, Stewart had to give up the lead to future race winner Kasey Kahne in order to take pits.

In the Best Buy 400 Stewart was involved in another crash with Elliott Sadler in which Sadler was turned by David Gilliland and Sadler's no. 19 collected Stewart and 11 other cars including Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Denny Hamlin. Stewart said, "I take 100 percent responsibility – it's my fault for being anywhere close to Elliott. If I'm within half a lap of him, I expect that to happen. It's my fault – I'm the one that hit him. When I hit him it caused all the guys behind us to wreck, so it's my fault."

On July 5, during the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona, Tony began feeling ill and turned the car over to former Joe Gibbs Racing teammate J. J. Yeley, who finished 20th after getting involved in two wrecks in the last 5 laps. Stewart earned his first & only win of the season in the AMP Energy 500 at Talladega on October 5. On the final lap Stewart was passed by Regan Smith. NASCAR declared that Smith had made an illegal pass and awarded the victory to Stewart.

2009 Season – Split from JGR and Debut of Stewart-Haas Racing

On July 8, 2008, it was reported that Stewart was released from the last year of his contract with Joe Gibbs Racing, primarily because JGR had switched from Chevrolet to Toyota. Stewart was vocal about his loyalty to Chevrolet (which sponsors his USAC Midget, Sprint Car, and Silver Crown teams), and would move to Haas CNC Racing to drive a Haas Chevrolet, with sponsorship from Office Depot (relocating from the #99 Roush Fenway team) and Old Spice. Stewart took half ownership of the team which was re-named Stewart-Haas Racing, and Stewart became the highest paid NASCAR driver. Stewart's car at Haas has the number 14 as homage to his hero A.J. Foyt. To date, he is the most successful driver for Joe Gibbs Racing with 33 wins and two championships (2002 and 2005).

On August 15, 2008, fellow Indiana native Ryan Newman signed a multi-year contract to drive the second car for Stewart-Haas Racing, originally to be designated #4 but changed to his USAC #39, with sponsorship from the U.S. Army (relocating from Earnhardt Ganassi Racing).

As the most recent series champion not among the Top 35 in owners' points, Stewart was first in line for past champions' provisionals for the first five races of 2009. He completed those races without needing to use the provisional, ending up well inside the Top 10 in points. Stewart won his first race as a driver/owner in the non-championship NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race XXV, winning more than $1,000,000, his first win in the event in 10 attempts. He followed that victory with his first points race win as a driver/owner at Pocono in the Pocono 500 on June 7, 2009, the first owner-driver in the Cup series to win a race since Ricky Rudd in 1998. Stewart also won the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona after a controversial finish involving a wreck with Kyle Busch, his former teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing. Stewart's season overall was his best showing since his rookie year, with another win coming at Watkins Glen International.

Stewart qualified for the 2009 Chase for the Sprint Cup as he finished the first 26 races as points leader. He fell to second in points following reseeding when Mark Martin, who won more races than Stewart, moved ahead of him. On October 5, 2009, Stewart won the Price Chopper 400 and moved to fourth in the standings, ending the season in sixth place.

2010 season

On 16 April 2010 Stewart won qualifying in NASCAR’s top series for the first time in five years, turning a lap of 191.327 mph at Texas Motor Speedway. Tony Stewart started his 400th Sprint Cup race from the pole. The last time that Stewart won the pole was 155 races ago at Martinsville Speedway in October 2005. On May 9 it was reported that Stewart will lose Old Spice as a sponsor after 11 years with him.

Tony won the Emory Healthcare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on September 5, 2010.

On October 10, Tony won the Pepsi Max 400 at Auto Club Speedway by pulling away from Jimmie Johnson and Clint Bowyer on the final restart.

On October 12, Mobil 1 announced a sponsorship deal with Stewart-Haas Racing to sponsor Stewart's car, starting in 2011. It will be the primary sponsor for 11 races, while Office Depot will be the primary sponsor for the rest of the season. Mobil 1 will also sponsor Tony in the Budweiser Shootout and the All-Star Race.

2011- present

In 2011 Stewart returns in the #14 Office Depot chevrolet. Stewart won the pole for the Daytona 500 which was won by rookie Trevor Bayne. Following a crash intentionally caused by Stewart on Brian Vickers at Infineon Raceway in June 2011, Brian Vickers intentionally wrecked Stewart as payback. In a interview Stewart was asked about the crashes. Stewart said "I probably had it coming because I dumped him first and he dumped me back, but I dumped him because he was blocking." Both were fined $50,000 and put on probation.

Other Racing Series

Non-NASCAR appearances

He frequently makes appearances on dirt tracks, appearing regularly at an ARCA race on dirt and at many prominent midget car events, USAC's Turkey Night Grand Prix, and the indoor Chili Bowl Midget Nationals.

Along with Matt Kenseth, He has a appeared at Madison International Speedway, a non-NASCAR half-mile track located in Wisconsin on highway 138 between the cities of Oregon, WI and Stoughton, WI.

Tony also races on rare occasions in the World of Outlaws Series and on July 27, 2011, Stewart won his first ever World of Outlaws race at Ohsweken Speedway

"Smoke" nickname

Tony Stewart told NASCAR.com of his nickname: "I wasn't very good about not slipping the right-rear tire, initially. So it started as 'Smoker,' then it got shortened to 'Smoke.' Then when I got in the Indy Racing League it was 'Smoke' because one of the guys on the crew who was my roommate, and knew the nickname, carried it over to the IndyCar team. But then when I started blowing engines, 'Smoke' really stuck. I've had it ever since."

During his NASCAR career, Tony Stewart once was told by #20 team owner Joe Gibbs that he could no longer compete in races outside of his Sprint Cup obligations. Stewart worked around this by entering a USAC National Midget race under the pseudonym "Smokey Jones" with the crowd at the track none the wiser. After winning the feature, "Smokey Jones" got out of his car and revealed himself to the crowd as Tony Stewart. He also once entered himself in a race, driving the infamous "Munchkin" midget chassis, as "Mikey Fedorcak Jr." after buying the Munchkin from Mike Fedorcak during a card game. In 2010 he raced several Modified races under the name Smoke Johnson.

Career IRL statistics

Races 3/3 10/10 11/11 1/10 1/13 26

Year	|	Wins	Poles	Top 5	Top 10	DNF	Finish	Start	Winnings	Season Rank	Team(s)
1996	|	0	1	1	0	2	12.3	4.0	$349,303	8th	Team Menard
1997	|	1	4	4	6	5	8.8	3.4	$1,090,450	1st	Team Menard
1998	|	2	3	5	6	4	11.1	4.5	$1,002,850	3rd	Team Menard
1999	|	0	0	0	1	0	9.0	24.0	$186,670	33rd	Tri-Star Racing
2001	|	0	0	0	1	0	6.0	7.0	$218,850	39th	Chip Ganassi Racing
colspan="11" style="background:grey; height:5px;"
Totals	|	3	8	10	15	11	10.1	4.8	$2,848,123

Career NASCAR statistics

Races 34/34 34/34 36/36 36/36 36/36 36/36 36/36 36/36 36/36 36/36 36/36 36/36 19/19 447

Year	|	Wins	Poles	Top 5	Top 10	DNF	Avg. Finish	Avg. Start	Winnings	Season Rank	Team(s)
1999	|	3	2	12	21	1	10.3	12.6	$2,613,976	4th	Joe Gibbs Racing
2000	|	6	2	12	23	5	12.4	16.7	$3,175,270	6th	Joe Gibbs Racing
2001	|	3	0	15	22	4	12.6	17.0	$3,543,043	2nd	Joe Gibbs Racing
2002	|	3	2	15	21	6	12.6	13.2	$4,695,154	1st	Joe Gibbs Racing
2003	|	2	1	12	18	5	14.6	13.9	$5,227,503	7th	Joe Gibbs Racing
2004	|	2	0	10	19	2	12.9	15.3	$6,221,710	6th	Joe Gibbs Racing
2005	|	5	3	17	25	1	9.9	12.0	$6,987,535	1st	Joe Gibbs Racing
2006	|	5	0	15	19	4	13.8	16.7	$7,285,281	11th	Joe Gibbs Racing
2007	|	3	0	11	23	4	13.1	17.6	$6,396,751	6th	Joe Gibbs Racing
2008	|	1	0	10	16	3	14.9	17.1	$6,066,407	9th	Joe Gibbs Racing
2009	|	4	0	15	23	1	12.3	10.4	$6,828,250	6th	Stewart-Haas Racing
2010	|	2	2	9	17	1	13.9	13.2	$5,664,250	7th	Stewart-Haas Racing
2011	|	0	0	2	7	1	14.7	17.5	$3,085,090	11th	Stewart-Haas Racing	colspan="11" style="background:grey; height:5px;"
Totals	|	39	12	155	254	38	12.8	15.0	$67,790,223

Data as of Saturday, July 30, 2011

Racecar owner

Stewart is the owner of various open-wheel short track racing cars, most of them being sponsored by Chevrolet since 2007.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (2009)

In the end of 2008 Tony was given a 50% stake in Haas CNC Racing which became Stewart-Haas Racing in 2009. Haas CNC Racing, previously fielded the #66 and #70 cars now fields the numbers 14 and 39 as Stewart-Haas Racing. This decision involved parting ways with long-time crew chief Greg Zipadelli, sponsor The Home Depot, car number 20, and owner Joe Gibbs, with all of which he had spent 10 years. He drives the #14 Chevrolet Impala owned by Gene and Margaret Haas. He is the owner of the #39 Impala, which is driven by Ryan Newman.

Daytona Speedweeks

In the Budweiser Shootout Tony Stewart finished 3rd. Teammate Ryan Newman wrecked three times, the last one taking out the #14 with him. Ryan Newman's car for the Daytona 500 was one of Stewart's backup cars, but they painted it to match the #39 Army scheme. Both Stewart and Newman were forced into backup cars, therefore moving them from their original starting positions in the 500, to the rear. Stewart and Newman finished 8th and 36th respectively.

United States Auto Club

Stewart has won USAC car owner titles in the Silver Crown division in 2002 and 2003 with J. J. Yeley, and in 2004 with Dave Steele. He also collected owner titles in USAC's National Sprint Car Series with Yeley in 2003 and Jay Drake in 2004. He also won an owner title in the USAC National Sprint Car Series in 2007 and 2009 with Levi Jones of Olney, IL

Stewart's USAC midget and sprint cars carry #20 and #21, while his Silver Crown car carries #22.

Other entities

Stewart owns a dirt late model Chevrolet Impala that carries #14 which he races frequently. Stewart has also won a World of Outlaws Sprint Car Championship as an owner with Donny Schatz in 2008. The team is now a 2 car operation with Schatz and Steve Kinser. He is also the owner of Custom Works, a company that manufactures radio controlled oval track cars, and has had a degree of success as a r/c racer himself.

Stewart is also the driving force behind the Sprint Sponsored "Prelude to the Dream" which features drivers from various sports driving late model dirt cars at Eldora Speedway. Since 2005 the "Dream" has showcased a who's who in NASCAR and NHRA, featuring such drivers as Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Pedregon and others. The inaugural race was won by Kenny Wallace, followed by Carl Edwards in 2006. As of late the race has been nicknamed "The Smoke Show" due to Stewart winning back to back to back since 2007. The events have raised over 4 million dollars for various NASCAR and driver charities including The Victory Junction Gang Camp.

Racetrack owner

NASCAR driver Tony Stewart purchased Eldora Speedway speedway located near Rossburg, Ohio in late 2004 from Earl Baltes. Tony Stewart is currently a co-owner of Paducah International Raceway near Paducah, Kentucky. He also co-owns Macon Speedway in Macon, Illinois along with Kenny Schrader, Kenny Wallace and Bob Sargent.

Tony Stewart Foundation

Founded in 2003 by Tony Stewart, the principal purposes of the Tony Stewart Foundation are to raise and donate funds to help care for chronically ill children, drivers injured in motorsports activities and to support other charitable organizations in the protection of various animal species. The Tony Stewart Foundation will raise and donate funds to charitable interests, specifically those that support the aforementioned groups.

TV & radio

Stewart hosted a two-hour weekly radio show, titled ''Tony Stewart Live'', broadcast on Sirius Satellite Radio. Stewart co-hosted the show with Matt Yocum, and takes listener calls. The show ran through 2007–2008.

In 2007, Stewart appeared in commercials for Subway with their spokesman, Jared Fogle. Tony Stewart worked at McDonald's while attending Columbus North High School. Former coworkers said he was a great worker — when he showed up.

Appeared with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in the music video for 3 Doors Down's song "The Road I'm On".

Appeared in a 2008 Toyota commercial where the cars of Toyota Sprint Cup drivers, including Stewart's, are driven by kids with remote controls. When his kid driver spins his car out of control, he crawls out, yelling to his crew chief, "Zippy, run for your life!" Stewart then throws his helmet at his car, a homage to his habit of throwing helmets and other racing gear in anger.

Stewart appears in commercials as a member of the Coca-Cola Racing Family of drivers and a Coca-Cola vending machine with Tony Stewart's picture on it sits in Columbus North High School to this day.

In 2010, Stewart appeared in the commercial for the Burger King Steak House XT, which he endorsed. This video entered the Top 10 of the Ad Age / Visible Measures Top Viral Ad Chart on Aug. 12, 2010.

Appeared as host in the 2003 production of NASCAR Images Adrenaline Vol 1

Video games

Stewart has been included in Electronic Arts' ''NASCAR'' sim racing series from 2000–present.

Electronic Arts announced Stewart to appear in person for the first time on the cover of NASCAR Thunder 2004 in late 2003, however he is not new to the concept having his Home Depot Winston Cup car appear on NASCAR 2001's cover. Stewart also appears on the cover of NASCAR 08.

Races won

Winston/Nextel/Sprint Cup (39 career wins, 2 championships and a Sprint All-Star Race)

2010 (2 wins) Emory Healthcare 500 (Atlanta), Pepsi Max 400 (Fontana)

2009 (4 wins) Pocono 500 (Pocono), Coke Zero 400 (Daytona), Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen (Watkins Glen), Price Chopper 400 (Kansas)

2008 (1 win) AMP Energy 500 (Talladega)

2007 (3 wins) USG Sheetrock 400 (Joliet), Allstate 400 at the Brickyard (Indianapolis), Centurion Boats at the Glen (Watkins Glen)

2006 (5 wins) DirecTV 500 (Martinsville), Pepsi 400 (Daytona), Banquet 400 (Kansas), Bass Pro Shops 500 (Atlanta), Dickies 500 (Texas)

2005 (5 wins) Dodge/Save Mart 350 (Sonoma), Pepsi 400 (Daytona), New England 300 (Loudon), Allstate 400 at The Brickyard (Indianapolis), Sirius at The Glen (Watkins Glen), Nextel Cup Championship

2004 (2 wins) Tropicana 400 (Joliet), Sirius at The Glen (Watkins Glen)

2003 (2 wins) Pocono 500 (Pocono), UAW-GM Quality 500 (Charlotte)

2002 (3 wins) MBNA America 500 (Atlanta), Chevy American Revolution 400 (Richmond), Sirius Satellite Radio at The Glen (Watkins Glen), Winston Cup Championship

2001 (3 wins) Pontiac Excitement 400 (Richmond), Dodge/Save Mart 350 (Sonoma), Sharpie 500 (Bristol)

2000 (6 wins) MBNA Platinum 400 (Dover), Kmart 400 (Michigan), thatlook.com 300 (Loudon), MBNA.com 400 (Dover), NAPA AutoCare 500 (Martinsville), Pennzoil 400 presented by Discount Auto Parts (Homestead)

1999 (3 wins) Exide NASCAR Select Batteries 400 (Richmond), Checker Auto Parts/Dura Lube 500 (Phoenix), Pennzoil 400 presented by Kmart (Homestead)

Busch/Nationwide Series (10 career wins)

2011 (1 win) DRIVE4COPD 300- Daytona

2010 (1 win) DRIVE4COPD 300 (Daytona)

2009 (1 win ) Camping World 300 (Daytona)

2008 (5 wins ) Camping World 300 (Daytona) Stater Brothers 300 (Fontana), Aaron's 312 (Talladega), Diamond Hill Plywood 200 (Darlington), Camping World RV Sales 200 (New Hampshire)

2006 (1 win ) Hershey's Kissables 300 (Daytona)

2005 (1 win ) Hershey's Take 5 300 (Daytona)

Craftsman/Camping World Truck Series (2 career wins)

2003 (1 win ) Virginia Is For Lovers 200 (Richmond)

2002 (1 win ) Richmond Is For Lovers 200 (Richmond)

International Race of Champions (4 career wins plus championship)

2006 Crown Royal IROC XXX (2 wins) Race 2 (Texas), Race 3 (Daytona Road Course), Crown Royal IROC XXX Championship

2002 True Value IROC XXVI (1 win ) Race 1 (Daytona)

2001 True Value IROC XXV (1 win ) Race 3 (Michigan)

IRL IndyCar Series (3 career wins plus championship)

1998 (2 wins) Indy 200 (Walt Disney World Speedway), New England 200 (Loudon)

1997 (1 win) Samsonite 200 (Pikes Peak), Indy Racing League Championship

References

External links

Official Website

Official Stewart-Haas Racing

Tony Stewart Foundation

Tony Stewart Foundation Video

Old Spice's Tony Stewart Blog

Biography

NASCAR.com: Tony Stewart

Coca-Cola Racing Family's Tony Stewart profile

ESPN Bio Page

Tony Stewart's stats from all series at racing-reference.info

Category:1971 births Category:American Christians Category:American racecar drivers Category:Brickyard 400 winners Category:Grand-Am drivers Category:Indianapolis 500 drivers Category:Indy 500 pole-sitters Category:Indianapolis 500 Rookies of the Year Category:International Race of Champions drivers Category:Indy Racing League drivers Category:Indy Racing League owners Category:Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Category:Living people Category:NASCAR Cup Series champions Category:NASCAR drivers Category:NASCAR owners Category:NASCAR Rookies of the Year Category:People from Columbus, Indiana Category:The Home Depot people Category:World of Outlaws drivers

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