[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 184 (Friday, December 2, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2168]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING TONY STEWART

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MIKE PENCE

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, December 2, 2011

  Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate one of Columbus, 
Indiana's most famous sons, the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion, Tony 
Stewart. Indiana has long been known as the world's capital of auto 
racing and Hoosiers are proud of our home-grown NASCAR champ.
  In a season finale that went down to the last lap, Tony drove what he 
called the greatest race of his life. His victory at Homestead-Miami 
Speedway clinched the season championship and cemented his status as 
one of stock car racing's all-time greats.
  Tony's racing career began like many other aspiring young racers--
behind the wheel of a go-kart. In 1983, at the age of twelve, Tony won 
his first championship. By 1989, he had moved from go-karts to open-
wheel machines and captured the National Midget championship in 1994. 
The next year, he won the United States Auto Club's Triple Crown. In 
1996, Tony demonstrated his prowess for racing at the Brickyard by 
capturing Rookie of the Year honors at the Indianapolis 500 and 
followed up with an IndyCar championship a year later.
  After becoming a full-time NASCAR driver in 1999, Tony won three 
races en route to becoming NASCAR's Rookie of the Year. Three seasons 
later, he won his first NASCAR championship. In 2005, Tony won the 
Brickyard 400 before a hometown crowd and went on later in the season 
to take his second title.
  The 2011 season will long be remembered for Tony's historic run in 
the Chase for the Sprint Cup. As a testament to the tenacity and poise 
of the entire Stewart-Hass Racing team, Tony brought the number 
fourteen to victory lane in five of the ten races that make up the 
Chase.
  Mr. Speaker, Hoosier race fans like myself have come to know Tony 
Stewart as a tremendous competitor. Whether he is racing the short 
tracks and dirt ovals all across Indiana, or at our famous Brickyard, 
Tony Stewart is a true champion.

                          ____________________