Birthdate: May 20, 1971 Residence: Rushville, Ind. Ht./Wt.: 5-10, 145 Marital Status: Single IRL Races: 7 1996 IRL Rank: 8 1996 Prize Money: $375,303 Tony Stewart Indianapolis "500" Record (Passed Driver's Test 1996) Speed Speed or Year Car Rank Qual. S F Laps Led Reason Out ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1996 Menards/Glidden/Quaker State 4 233.106 1 24 82 44 Engine ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total: 1 Race 82 44
Tony Stewart was born May 20, 1971. He got his start racing go-karts - becoming the 1983 International Karting Foundation Grand National champion, and the 1987 World Karting Association champion. The '90s were filled with hundreds of USAC features including Silver Crown, sprint, midgets, and three-quarter midgets. He got his first USAC victory in August 1991, in midgets, at the Speedrome. That season, he also was bestowed Rookie honors by USAC Sprint Series, Indianapolis Speedrome Midget Series and the Hoosier Auto Racing Fans. In 1994, he won his first USAC national Midget Championship. The next year he claimed three USAC titles: national midget, sprint and the Silver Crown. It was the first time a driver had won three USAC titles in the same year.
His first Indy "500" came in 1996. He started the race on the pole and eventually fell back to 24th place. He put forth a tremendous effort, earning Rookie of the Year honors. He joined the IRL that year as well, taking second in the Indy 200, at Walt Disney World.
1996-97 IRL Season Results Event FP SP Laps Reason Out IRL PTS Prize Money ------------------------------------------------------------------- True Value 200 12 7 182 Electrical 24 $41,000 Las Vegas 500K 21 2 77 Accident 14 $32,000 Indy 200 10 1 146 Accident 28 $83,300 Phoenix 200 2 1 200 Running 36 $145,500
