NASCAR Stewart's career resembles that of his mentor, A.J. Foyt
Tony Stewart has all the characteristics -- top-notch racer, volatile personality -- of Foyt.
HOMESTEAD, Fla. (AP) -- Tony Stewart is volatile, unpredictable, sardonic, headstrong and, above all, a great race car driver.
That description of NASCAR's newest champion could also apply to one of Stewart's heroes, A.J. Foyt Jr.
Foyt, a car owner in NASCAR's Winston Cup series and the Indy Racing League, was "the person you measured yourself against," driving great Mario Andretti said.
"If you beat him, you knew you'd beaten the best. If you lost to him, you knew you'd been beaten by the best," said Andretti, perhaps the most versatile and successful American driver besides Foyt.
Foyt came from the mean dirt tracks of Texas and raced anything on wheels, winning in a variety of cars. His most famous accomplishment was becoming the first four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500, but the bigger-than-life Texan also won the Daytona 500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
A man for all racetracks
Stewart, too, is a man for all racetracks. The brooding bad boy of NASCAR added the Winston Cup title to his 1997 IRL championship and a sweep of USAC's midgets, sprints and Silver Crown cars in 1995.
In all, the 31-year-old racer from Indiana, who started his career in karting, has won at every level -- nine championships in a 23-year career.
There are other similarities between Foyt and Stewart.
Foyt kept up a running war with the media and often got physical with people and machinery. He once pushed a camera back in the face of an aggressive photographer, slapped a driver who protested one of his team's victories, bashed the malfunctioning engine of an Indy-car with a wrench, and slammed a laptop computer to the ground in rage after a pit mistake cost one of his drivers a chance to win at Indy.
Stewart was fined and placed on probation earlier this year for punching a photographer, verbally sparring with the media, getting physical in the garage area, and using his car as a battering ram against competitors.
Pays homage to Foyt
After Stewart wrapped up his first Winston Cup championship Sunday in the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, he paid homage to Foyt.
"I think the coolest part about this whole thing is that I finally did something that Foyt didn't do," Stewart said, smiling. "Most people don't realize, but the first Indy car I ever drove was for A.J. at Phoenix.
"It was one of the most frustrating experiences of my life. But it was one of the best experiences of my life, too. The relationship I built with A.J. that week will last a lifetime."