When Tony Stewart’s aggressive move on Denny Hamlin secured one of his final wins before retirement

Tony Stewart secured his final Cup Series victory at Sonoma Raceway on June 26, 2016, when he held off Denny Hamlin at the Toyota Save Mart 350 race. It was Stewart's last appearance at Sonoma as a Cup driver and he did not disappoint his fans.

Stewart missed the first eight races that season due to an injury he suffered during the offseason. The American returned at Richmond. However; he failed to make much amends till Michigan, the race before Sonoma.

The Sonoma race weekend started on a positive note for Tony Stewart. He qualified in 10th, the same place he started the race from. During the race, he was inside the top five for a good portion and finally took the lead on Lap 89.

Even though he was comfortably leading with a few car lengths ahead of Hamlin, he ran wide on the final lap. This provided an opportunity for the #11 driver to sneak in, push Stewart and snatch the lead. Denny Hamlin led the race, but not for too long.

As they approached the penultimate corner of the raceway, Hamlin ran wide and opened up a good portion of the track for Stewart. The #14 driver grabbed the opportunity immediately as he pulled out an aggressive move and returned to the race lead. With one corner to go, it did not seem Tony Stewart was going to give it up.

As Hamlin saw his lead vanish within the blink of an eye, Stewart took the Checkered Flag and sent fans and his team into a frenzy. It was victory number 49 for "Smoke" and one to remember for the NASCAR Hall of Famer.

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A sneak-peek into Tony Stewart's illustrious career

Tony Stewart (14) celebrates in victory lane during the Toyota Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports. Source: Imagn

Anthony Wayne Stewert, nicknamed "Smoke," was born in Columbus, Indiana, in the USA in 1971. He began to go-kart in 1979, his first stepping stone towards success. After a few years in go-karts, Stewart made his open-wheel racing career debut with IndyCar in 1995.

He entered NASCAR with the Xfinity Series and Truck Series in 1996. However, it wasn't until 1999 that he debuted in the NASCAR Cup Series and raced in the Daytona 500. Stewart raced for nearly two decades and raked in 618 Cup Series races.

During his illustrious career, Tony Stewart claimed 49 Cup Series wins, 308 top 10s, 15 pole positions, and most importantly, three Cup Series Championships in 2002, 2005, and 2011.

He was awarded NASCAR's Hall of Fame in 2020 and was named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers in 2023. The 53-year-old is currently the co-owner of the NASCAR team Stewart-Haas Racing, but he is set to withdraw from the sport by the end of the 2024 season.