Anthony Wayne Stewart is a NASCAR Sprint Cup driver. He was born on May 20 1971 at Columbus, Indiana. If there is one thing that Stewart wants, it is racing.

While growing up, he developed a keen interest in go-karts. He started racing, and in 1987, he became the champion of the World Karting Association. This is just the beginning of his long list of achievements. Aside from the go-karts, he also tried riding three-quarter midgets and raced. He joined the United States Auto Club Series. On his debut, he won the Rookie of the Year award. He was relatively successful in the open-wheel auto racing.

He had an interesting start in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He faced the much-favored racer, Dale Earnhardt Jr. in a Gatorade Twin 125 races. Although Earnhardt won, Tony Stewart has grabbed many of the spectators' attention. He gained more following as he continued to race. Many were impress in his strong finishes. He always managed to find a spot in the top ten. This made him deserving to win another Rookie of the year Award, this time from the Winston Cup.

After winning the Rookie of the Year Award in 1999, he did not show any sign of slowing down. During the next season, he was still consistent with his strong driving abilities. Although this was the case, the competition was tougher. The tight competition caused him to drop to the sixth spot. However, he won the midget car event in the Turkey Night Grand Prix and he could not be prouder.

The following season, Stewart was in an accident during the race but he was able to walk away without major injuries. Controversy also filled the season. He had unpleasant encounters with a NASCAR official for some violations. He also had some unlikely encounter with another driver, Jeff Gordon. This led to his fining. Many consider him as short tempered. These encounters earned him the nickname the bad boy of NASCAR.

He had a good run in 2002. It did not start right for him though. He placed seventh in the standings during the first part of the season. NASCAR placed him on probation after a misunderstanding with a photographer in the Brickyard 400. However, this did not alter his ability to ride. He had a good run during the last few races. By the end of the year, he would have his very first Winston Cup Championship title.

There are quite a few highlights in his career in 2004. He started out strong. He had notable wins in Chicagoland and Watkins Glen International. He also teamed up with two of NASCAR's great drivers, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Andy Wallace for the 24 Hours of Daytona. Although they had a great start, they were not able to pull it off, their suspension broke, and the rear wheels dislocated.

The next season was a success. It included his second NASCAR Nextel Cup Title. However, he missed his chance to win it again in 2006.

Tony Stewart is one talented racecar driver. However, that is not the only highlight in his career. He also made his mark because of the various unpleasant encounters he had with other drivers and officials.