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Variously known as "Nascar's bad boy" or "the rock star of racing" Tony Stewart was born Anthony Wayne Stewart in Columbus, Indiana on May 20, 1971.

A racing fan from his earliest years, Stewart was not out of his teens when he won the World Karting Championship in 1987, later racing in the United States Auto Club series to become Rookie of the Year in 1991 and National Midget series champion in 1994.

The following year, the young driver continued his winning streak by becoming the first ever to take all three major USAC championships with first place finishes in not only the National Midget, but the Silver Crown and Sprint races, as well.

In 1997, Stewart began his career running in earnest with the Indy Racing League with almost consistent top ten finishes and, in 1999, really began to take off by scoring three victories that year or more than any other rookie in Winston Cup history.

He also set another record by competing in the both the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600, on the same day, racing a total of 1,090 miles (later beating his own record by racing 1,100 miles in the double race in 2001).

Bad Boy Stewart

2001 started off with a bang when Stewart became involved in a memorable and spectacular crash at the Daytona 500, walking away uninjured.

That same year a still-fierce rivalry between NASCAR star Jeff Gordon, also seemed to spin out of control, as Gordon apparently pulled a bump-and-run on Stewart at the track at Bristol. Stewart shot back by causing Gordon to spin out on pit road near the end of the race, resulting in a fine and probation for Stewart.

More controversy ensued throughout the year as Stewart scuffled with both reporters and track officials, resulting in his "bad boy" reputation that continued into 2002 when he was again put on probation following an altercation with a photographer. However, he finished the year out consistently in the top five and ultimately took his first Winston Cup championship.

Wins, Losses

Stewart managed only two wins in 2003, but by the next year enjoyed victories at both Chicagoland and Watkins Glen, and put in an impressive performance at the marathon 24 Hours of Daytona.

2005 saw his most successful season to date with a total of five wins including the No. 1 seed in the Nextel Cup following his victory at the Allstate 400. In all, Stewart took home $13,578,168 in earnings that year, including $6,173,633 for winning the Nextel championship, the largest season total in NASCAR history.

The next year saw Stewart continuing to make headlines in dust-ups with fellow drivers involving four separate battles with Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, Mat Kenseth, and Clint Bower which also memorably played out in the media.

By 2007, Stewart became the driver to beat at the Daytona 500 and at Bristol, but he ultimately trailed behind due to either crashes or mechanical problems. Most notably, racing's bad boy came in second behind his nemesis, Jeff Gordon, at the Phoenix International Raceway following a race caution - resulting in Stewart's infamous remark likening NASCAR to pro wrestling and accusing NASCAR officials of using race cautions to determine race outcomes. Not long after his win at the 2007 Allstate 400, Stewart was once again in trouble with race officials when he was fined $25,000 for using an expletive in a post-race interview.

In July 2008, Stewart was back in the news for his off-track business acumen when, after 10 seasons with Joe Gibbs Racing, he announced plans for a 50-50 partnership with Haas CNC Racing in a new venture named Stewart-Haas Racing. He later became the first owner/driver to win a championship since 1992 by holding off Carl Edwards in the season-ending Sprint Cup Championship to take the win and the title in the 2011 Ford 400.

Off the track, Stewart still lives in the Columbus, Indiana house where he grew up, and has a sister, Natalie, who helps organize the Tony Stewart Fan Club.

The still-single Stewart has been romantically linked to girlfriend Tara Roquemore although the couple had reportedly broken up in mid-2007.

More about Tony Stewart around the Web:

The Official Site of Tony Stewart - Featuring the latest news & race results, photo gallery, official schedule, bio, online store.

Tony Stewart - A detailed Wikipedia entry with the racer's complete biography, career highlights & controversies, photos, with related resources and references.

NASCAR.com - drivers : tony stewart - The latest news headlines, in-depth stats & racing schedule, photos, biography.

Tony Stewart News - The lastest headlines from various news sources around the Web.

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