In an illustrious career that spanned 18 seasons, Tony Stewart raced his way to three Cup Series championships, picking up 49 wins along the way. Having driven in 618 races, Stewart boasted an average finish of 14.12 and an average starting position of 15.53.
The racer-turned-owner won his final championship in 2011, with five wins that season. But a year later, he would score one of his most iconic victories when he claimed the checkered flag in the Coke Zero 400.
Revisiting the Race Where Tony Stewart Went From the Back to the Front
In 2012, the defending Cup Series champion had 17 race wins at Daytona International Speedway, second only to the legendary Dale Earnhardt Sr. Despite a dominant performance on the track, a win in the Great American Race eluded Stewart, who would go on to rewrite history in July that year.
Having qualified for the Coke Zero 400 in P2, Stewart faced a setback after a penalty sent him to the back of the 43-car pack. During one of his qualifying runs, a cap came off one of his cooling hoses from the cockpit, resulting in a violation.
He would then methodically work his way up the field, passing one driver at a time and avoiding chaos. A caution flag helped Stewart, allowing him to close in on the race leaders.
Stewart’s luck didn’t stop there. He narrowly avoided a huge wreck when Denny Hamlin spun right behind him, barely missing his rear bumper.
With two laps to go, the race saw its final restart, with Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle leading the field. Stewart lined up on the outside with Kasey Kahne behind him. As they entered Turn 1 of the final lap, Kahne and Jeff Burton made contact, allowing Stewart, Biffle, and Kenseth to break free.
The Roush teammates did their best to keep Stewart at bay, but he was just too strong. He swiftly passed both drivers in one fell swoop and held on to the lead to secure his third win of the season.
With the victory, Stewart notched his fourth career Coke Zero 400 win, bringing his total Daytona wins to 18. This total included six Nationwide Series wins, three in the Budweiser Shootout, two in the now-defunct IROC Series, and three Gatorade Duel victories.
Despite never winning the February race at Daytona, Stewart still claimed 18 checkered flags from the famed venue, earning the title of the “King of Daytona.”
