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Tony Stewart is a former NASCAR Cup Series champion who has been widely known as the "Smoke" since his days as a dirt car racer. Several NASCAR fans use his nickname affectionately, and the story behind his nickname came from his racing style, as he tended to push his cars to their limit.
The 53-year-old was born on May 20th, 1971 in Columbus, Indiana. He is a three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion who achieved this feat in 2002, 2005 and the last one coming in 2011.
He has also won the IndyCar Series championship in 1997 making him the only motorsports driver to have won titles in both the premier racing championships. The Indiana native was also the co-owner of the former stock car racing team, Stewart-Haas Racing till he left the team in 2024 causing the team to be restructured as Haas Factory team under the ownership of Gene Haas.
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The origin of Tony Stewart's "Smoke" moniker can be traced back to his dirt racing days. The American made a name for himself in sprint car racing. During his early days, he was known for pushing his vehicles to their limits which resulted in overheating. The overheated engines started to emit smoke and thus he got his nickname, "Smoke" from his pit crew and other racers.
After his move to NASCAR, the nickname was solidified. His personality made a big contribution to playing that role. The former champion was known for his intense interviews and fierce on-track rivalries.
One such event was during the 2012 Bristol Night Race when his temperament surfaced after colliding with the Roush Fenway Racing driver Matt Kenseth. On the 332nd lap, both drivers were unwilling to yield at Turn 1, resulting in a crash.
Furious with the incident, Stewart threw his helmet at Kenseth's car when he was driving past on the pit road at the circuit. This moment became an iconic symbol of Tony Stewart's personality.
Over time, the moniker "Smoke" took on a double meaning, symbolic of the literal smoke his cars would let out and his hot-headedness in the competitive world of NASCAR.
Stewart also leaned into the nickname, making it a chief part of his branding. He also joked about the nickname suiting him because of his love for barbecue. Though Stewart semi-retired from racing in 2016, his fans never stopped calling him "Smoke"
When Tony Stewart hesitated to voice his opinion on NASCAR's Next-Gen rules
Tony Stewart expressed his reluctance to voice his opinions on NASCAR's Next-Gen cars and the associated penalties during an interview with Kenny Wallace in April 2023.
He claimed that sharing his thoughts could lead to financial repercussions and negatively impact his drivers and organization. While speaking to Kenny Wallace in a Kenny Conversations episode posted on April 28, 2023, Tony Stewart said:
"What frustrates me about NASCAR right now is...Yeah, I do have an opinion. I have a very strong opinion about how they're doing things but if I say something [...] then it's going to cost me money. It's going to cost me points. It's going to hurt my drivers. It's going to hurt my organization." [at 1:13].
Stewart then went on to emphasize the fear of expressing opinions in the current NASCAR environment, claiming that while opinions are allowed, they should be kept to oneself.
