Tony Stewart explains how he got his start in racing

Tony Stewart is considered somewhat of a Renaissance Man in the world of racing. He possesses a rare skill-set that has led him to success on a number of different circuits from NASCAR to IndyCar to drag racing and more. But where did it all start for the legendary driver?

Stewart recently made an appearance The Pat McAfee Show and talked about how he got his start in racing. It should come as no surprise that the Indiana native got behind the wheel at a pretty early age.

“So, I started in go-karts when I was eight,” Stewart said. “Graduated high school and started moving up. I ran in USAC (United States Auto Club) which is based out of the west side of Indianapolis … I ran sprint cars, midget cars and silver crown cars.

“And then got an opportunity, literally with a month of each other, to drive for a NASCAR team and an IndyCar team. Luckily, the IndyCar Series only had five races the first year that the stock car team was willing to let me do both.

“At the end of ’96, Joe Gibbs hired me. I went two more years in NASCAR’s Xfinity Series and then went to the Cup Series in ’99.”

"I started racing in Go-Karts when I was eight years old..

I learned I was too lazy to work a real job at a young age and I had to be good at something"

😂😂 @TonyStewart #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/mnP0pxt9DL

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 1, 2023

Ever since getting into the professional ranks, Stewart has enjoyed a wealth of accomplishments. He is a three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, won the IndyCar Series title in 1997 and owns 65 career victories across multiple circuits.

Stewart found the most success in the NASCAR Cup Series, running in 618 races over an 18-year career. He registered 49 victories and 308 top-10 finishes. He won 11 races in the Xfinity Series and two more in the NASCAR Truck Series.

Stewart also claimed three checkered flags during his time as an IndyCar Series driver.

After talking about how he got his start in racing, Stewart was asked what sets him apart from other drivers. It’s not often that one individual can find so much success a several different circuits.

At first, Stewart provided a modest answer by saying, “I really don’t know.” Then, he had a little fun with the question from McAfee.

“I learned I was too lazy to work a real job at a young age,” Stewart said. “So, I figured I had to be good at something.”

Mission accomplished.

Now that his full-time racing career is essentially in the rearview mirror, Stewart has been inducted into a number of Hall of Fames, including the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.