Remember how, in the year 2002, things escalated beyond the track when he was accused of assaulting a fan in Bristol, Tennessee? The charge was later dismissed, but not forgotten in the court of public opinion. Yet behind the chaos, there was a different side to Tony Stewart forming, one that the public didn’t see. As dirt-track crowds grew louder, rowdier, and increasingly hostile, Stewart quietly created an alter-ego. Now, this was a hidden persona born from survival.

Since his rookie season, ‘Smoke’  has worn the label of NASCAR’s bad boy, one that many drivers spend their whole careers trying to escape. And to be fair, the reputation didn’t appear out of thin air. From fiery post-race confrontations to short-tempered run-ins with media, Stewart’s volatility was as much a part of his identity as his championships.

How Tony Stewart handled dirt-track fan chaos

Tony Stewart’s popularity has always been a strange mix of admiration and hostility. Dirt-track enthusiasts flocked to locations to watch him race anything with wheels, despite critics calling him NASCAR’s bad boy. “So he would go to these races, and if they knew he was coming, it would be standing room only. It would be insane, and they could not control the crowd at that time,” Kenny Wallace revealed on the recent episode of the Ken and Schrader podcast.

Stewart frequently attended these grassroots gatherings, sometimes spontaneously and sometimes on a whim, since he enjoyed the unvarnished, passionate, and liberating atmosphere of these events. But his notoriety also brought with it a new issue: he was no longer able to pass through the pits undetected.

“So he was entering as ‘Smoke Johnson’. So that way he could race the car without people, you know, in the pits, and that’s kind of how it started because he was so damn popular. And if you remember at the end there, he was getting into fist fights with fans in the pit area,” Wallace revealed.

And the hostility wasn’t exaggerated. In 2019, during a routine autograph session at Jackson Motorplex in Minnesota, Stewart was heckled by a fan shouting insults over his one-lap run and deep pockets. Stewart fired back verbally, but the man kept pressing. When the fan responded with a mocking slur, Stewart snapped. He stepped forward and landed a heavy left hook to the heckler’s head as nearby spectators erupted in cheers.

And the name Stewart chose (Smoke Johnson) isn’t any random one. In fact, it began to take shape on the ground even before the fights and disguises. In his USAC days, Tony Stewart earned it for constantly slipping the right rear tire and creating clouds of dust. Later, during his 1997 IRL championship run, the name stuck again after he repeatedly blew engines. “Smoke” became part of his mythology.

If you look at it with a broader lens, “Smoke Johnson” wasn’t a joke. Rather, it was Tony Stewart’s escape hatch, a way to protect his sanity while staying connected to the racing world he loved most.

Tony Stewart’s love for dirt racing

Tony Stewart’s passion for dirt racing is ingrained in his racing heritage and serves as the cornerstone of his diverse and prosperous career. Stewart first demonstrated his innate skill and aggressive attitude on local dirt tracks in Indiana. As he advanced through the esteemed USAC levels, he won the National Midget Series in 1994 and the USAC Triple Crown in 1995. Now, this was an accomplishment that was unheard of at the time: winning the Midget, Sprint, and Silver Crown divisions in the same year.

Stewart’s early success on the dirt helped him break into more prestigious series like the Indy Racing League and later NASCAR. The Indiana-native never let up on his dirt roots, even though he had great success on asphalt and won three NASCAR Cup Series titles. Throughout his NASCAR career, he has been known to compete regularly in dirt track events, consistently expressing his love for the sport.

Stewart’s love for dirt racing extends beyond driving. He’s also a successful team owner in dirt racing, with Tony Stewart Racing earning multiple championships in USAC and the World of Outlaws Sprint Car series. Moreover, in 2004, Stewart became the owner of one of the most legendary short tracks in America, Eldora Speedway.

The Prelude to the Dream, a dirt late model race that took place at Eldora Speedway from 2005 to 2012, was also spearheaded by Stewart. Kenny Wallace, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, and Stewart were among the elite drivers from NASCAR, IndyCar, NHRA, and World of Outlaws to participate. More than $4 million was raised for different NASCAR and driver charities by the event.

Stewart’s deep connection to dirt racing has shaped every chapter of his life, from budding prodigy to NASCAR superstar to influential team owner. Even today, he remains one of the sport’s loudest ambassadors, always pushing for bigger crowds, better purses, and more visibility.