Why is Tony Stewart called smoke?

Question

...and why is it his nickname?

Answer 1

Tony Stewart told NASCAR.com of his nickname: "I wasn't very good about not slipping the right-rear tire, initially. So it started as 'Smoker,' then it got shortened to 'Smoke.' Then when I got in the Indy Racing League it was 'Smoke' because one of the guys on the crew who was my roommate, and knew the nickname, carried it over to the IndyCar team. But then when I started blowing engines, 'Smoke' really stuck. I've had it ever since."

Answer 2

when i was at plymouth indiana for hoosier tires, tony told how he got that nickname. when he went to support bob and joannes 50th running of hoosier tires.  

1. because he used to spin the tires everytime he stared from a caution to green, which created smoke.

2. he said was when he race someone so hard back in the day that all the other drivers would see smoke out of there windshield. which ment he was so good and raced everyone hard.

3. he used the nick name smoke johnson when he race late models on dirt, so people wouldn,t know he was there.

Answer 3

Tony Stewert is called smoke because a few years ago Darrell Waltrip said Tonys leaving them in the smoke  hes driving so fast and ever since then they have been calling him smoke

Answer 4

Its because when he would go to the local short tracks he would use the alias Smoke Johnson so people wouldn't know he was entering the race but people recognized him immediately and the nic followed him to Cup

Answer 5

thats his nickname

Answer 6

I believe it is because he enters racing events that are outside of his contract using the name Smoke Johnson. He sometimes just shows up at local tracks and enters the event under this name, or at least he used to.