During his years in the NASCAR Cup Series, Tony Stewart built a legacy that will be remembered by the fans for a very long time. Now how does someone build a legacy like that? Well, that is exactly what Smoke explained while on a mentor-mentee session with his SHR driver Chase Briscoe.
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During their conversations, Stewart mentioned, “I think there has to be iconic moments that people cling on to and hold on to and cherish that memory as much as you do as a driver.”
He added, “I literally think it’s about the fans perspective, the media’s perspective, the sanctioning body, your peers, what you’ve accomplished in the sport and how you’ve done it. I think that’s what builds that legacy.”
Tony Stewart speaks about his ultimate battle with Carl Edwards
Briscoe further asked about some of the more iconic moments for Stewart during his career that may have helped to cement his legacy in the sport. Subsequently, the three-time Cup Series champion responded, “I think probably the one that is always the easiest answer. The one that it’s a natural number one pick is probably the Homestead race from 2011.”
“The battle with Carl Edwards having purpose as you joint go through the screen, and literally be right at the front edge of the fence of the radiator to have to fix damage twice. We had rain delay. We had a bad pitstop with fuel mileage gamble, that got us track position and can have a car that was that fast when that was probably the iconic moment in my career.”
Stewart’s 2011 championship win was his third and final in his Cup Series career. The final race at Homestead-Miami that year saw an intense battle between him and Carl Edwards. In the end, it was Stewart who emerged victorious.
Interestingly, both Stewart and Edwards tied on points after the checkered flag dropped. But since the SHR driver won five races, all in the playoffs that season, over Edwards who only won one throughout the season, it was Stewart who ended up claiming the title over his rival.
