Did Tony Stewart win the Indy 500? Everything you need to know

Tony Stewart is regarded as one of the most successful US-based racers. Apart from being a three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, Stewart has also won titles in Indy, Sprint, Midget, and USAC Silver Crown series.

Unlike most budding NASCAR drivers who compete in late-model cars early in their careers, Stewart began with go-karts. Progressing through the National Midget and USAC Silver Crown Series, Stewart entered the Indy Racing League in 1996. Despite leading the iconic Indy 500 race for 64 laps in 1997, the Indiana-born racer eventually had to settle in fifth place.

After winning several accolades, Stewart shifted his focus to NASCAR. In a racing career spanning over two decades, he accumulated 62 wins and 354 Top 10 finishes in the top three national stock car series. Apart from the three Cup Series titles, Stewart is known for his two successful Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 Double Duty runs in 1999 and 2001. While Stewart retired from full-time stock car racing in 2016, he entered the NHRA Top Fuel Dragster racing series in the 2024 season.

Apart from being a racing driver, Stewart joined forces with Gene Haas to form Stewart-Haas Racing in 2009 to compete in NASCAR. Despite a successful 15-year run, Stewart and Haas decided to shut down the operations of SHR at the end of the 2024 season.

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"The charter agreements are a joke," - Tony Stewart criticized NASCAR leadership for the nuances in the charter agreement

With the 2024 NASCAR season ending at Phoenix, Tony Stewart has officially parted ways from the motorsport as a team owner. In a recent Cars and Culture podcast with Jason Stein, the former Stewart-Haas Racing co-owner criticized NASCAR leadership for the nuances in the current charter agreement.

"The charter agreements are a joke. And if people aren’t smart enough to read between the lines – when someone like Rick Hendrick says, ‘I just got tired of arguing with them,' do you think Rick Hendrick runs his business and negotiations and just says, ‘I’m going to just sign this agreement because I’m tired of arguing with you.’ Rick Hendrick’s never done that a day in his life," Stewart said, expressing his displeasure with the leadership (5:23 onward).

"So, if people aren’t smart enough to read between the lines and figuring out what that means, then you’re all missing the whole big picture all by itself. So, it’s just an area I don’t want to be a part of anymore. I’m a purist, I’m an old-school guy when it comes to racing," he added (5:44 onward).

Here's a look at a clip of the podcast on YouTube:

With Stewart now focused on the NHRA Top Fuel Dragster racing series and no plans to return to stock car racing anytime soon, he indirectly supported 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports in the ongoing legal battle against NASCAR.