Along with his long list of on-track achievements, Tony Stewart is just as famous for his fiery personality. Known as “Smoke” in the racing world, the former NASCAR star has always lived up to the nickname. Whether it’s his bold takes on NASCAR or his hard-nosed style behind the wheel, Stewart has more than earned his legendary status.
Recently, Stewart appeared on Smoke Show, a podcast hosted by Chaz Thompson. He opened up on a range of topics — including his brawls over the years. And yes, he casually revealed his “weapon of choice” for when things get heated.
Tony Stewart’s Road to Three NASCAR Championships
Like a lot of racing legends, Stewart showed talent early. He started racing go-karts at eight and won a World Karting Association title by 16. He then moved to three-quarter midgets in the UMRA series and eventually joined USAC in 1991, where he earned Rookie of the Year.
In 1996, he made his IndyCar debut with Team Menard and led 37 laps on his way to a runner-up finish. That same year, he also entered the NASCAR Xfinity Series and finished 16th in the season standings.
After building his name in both IndyCar and NASCAR’s lower series, Stewart made his Cup Series debut in 1999 with Joe Gibbs Racing. In his rookie year, he scored three wins and several top-five finishes. The next season, he doubled his win count with six and built a reputation for his aggressive style and fiery temper.
In 2002, Stewart claimed his first Cup Series championship behind the wheel of the No. 20 Pontiac. He won five races and earned more than $13 million during his second title season in 2005. Despite being in the spotlight for run-ins and fines over the years, Stewart’s talent was never in question.
His third Cup Series title came in 2011, and it was the most dramatic of all. Driving for his own Stewart-Haas Racing team, he didn’t win during the regular season — but when the playoffs hit, he won five of the final 10 races. He clinched the championship on a tiebreaker.
Tony Stewart on His Weapon of Choice
On the Smoke Show podcast, Stewart also sounded off on today’s sprint car scene, noting how some drivers don’t take criticism well. Thompson brought up the sensitivity of drivers in that series, and Stewart didn’t hold back.
“Sprint car guys, they need to get double cheeseburgers, they don’t need to be eating salads. They need to be eating more double cheeseburgers,” Stewart said. “You could take half the sprint car field, and even my out-of-shape basket could go whip half of them right now.”
He then dropped a wild detail — his team kept a pair of brass knuckles in the shop just in case things went sideways.
“The team I drove with always had a pair of brass knuckles in the top center drawer. So when s*** went down, you went to the top-center drawer, and it was right there front and side, and you grabbed them quick.”
Stewart brought up fellow racers David Gravel and Cody Jacobs as part of a scenario, praising Jacobs for always being ready to throw down.
“That equalizes a jack handle and a guy that weighs 300 pounds. Like, David Gravel’s 5’3” and 110 lbs. But Cody Jacobs? He’s like a German Shepherd, man. If s***’s going to go down at a sprint car race, Cody’s the first guy I want on my side. He’ll throw down, won’t even think about it. And when he lands something, it’s going to land hard and solid. It’s not going to be one of those limp-wristed NASCAR fist-throwing deals.”
Gravel seemed to get a kick out of it. He posted a clip of the podcast on X with the caption:
“We don’t condone violence @TonyStewart… but if s*** hit the fan I think we have it covered LOL!”
Tony Stewart’s Team Announces Split With $40 Billion Worth Engine Supplier
Following the 2024 season, SHR announced its closure owing to financial struggles. Stewart remained connected to the racing world, running for his own team known as “Tony Stewart Racing.” He drives in the NHRA Top Fuel and also fields a car in the “World of Outlaws.”
Donny Schatz is the driver in charge of the No. 15 TSR car in the World of Outlaws, and for more than nine years, Ford Performance, which has a net worth of nearly $40 billion, has been the engine provider for the team.
The TSR-Ford partnership has been incredibly successful for Schatz, who raced to victory on 22 occasions while running the FPS410 engine. Notably, the driver has also played an integral part in developing the engine for the last five years.
MORE: When Tony Stewart Turned a Career-Threatening Injury Into NASCAR’s Funniest Recovery Story
However, all of that is now in the past, with TSR making a mid-season switch in its engine provider lineup. In a statement released on X, TSR revealed they will no longer be running a Ford power unit for the rest of the 2025 season.
Statement from Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing regarding our engine program ⬇️@DonnySchatz | @WorldofOutlaws | @TonyStewart | #25In25 pic.twitter.com/zvurYj4dQr
— Tony Stewart Racing (@TonyStewart_Rcg) March 28, 2025
With Ford out, Stewart’s team will return to an old ally of the veteran, with a Chevrolet Block 410 under the hood of the No. 15 car.
Reportedly, the issue with the Ford engine was the fact that the power unit was producing too much power. The added horsepower made driving the car more difficult, severely affecting Schatz’s results.
In 2019, Schatz had 11 wins to his name, marking the last time he had a double-digit winning season. A year before that, he had 22 wins in a single season, proving just how dominant he can be when handed the right package.
Notably, the 47-year-old has won 318 races and 10 championships in his career, but his performances have gone downhill while driving with a Ford PU. The 2025 season has further highlighted his struggle with the engine, given he is yet to win a race this year.
He has one top-five finish and seven top-tens and sits 200 points away from the lead in the drivers’ standings.
From the next race onwards, that is the World of Outlaws Sooner State Showdown at the Lawton Speedway on Friday, March 28, Schatz will be running on a Chevy PU. He’ll be hoping for a much better outing than what he has had so far this season, and who knows, perhaps the reignited partnership might just be the spark that Schatz needed to get his season back on track.
When tempers flare and someo e dies.
Smoke would know…
That’s funny, I recall him just running people over instead
Tony is a punk regardless of accomplishment.His actions killed a kid and that can never be undone.At best he should have been convicted of manslaughter.
Quitting an engine setup because it makes too much power? That BullS___ in the 8th degree