NASCAR Season Review: Tony Stewart

Tony Stewart started 2016 sidelined by a serious back injury, but was back at the track to give his Stewart-Haas Racing team some guidance for several races including the Duck Commander 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Tony Stewart returned to the No. 14 Chevrolet after missing the first eight races of the 2016 season, starting in the Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway on April 24.

Always a threat at road courses, Stewart reached Victory Lane at Sonoma Raceway on June 26 with a thrilling final turn pass of Denny Hamlin for the win. After receiving a waiver from NASCAR, he was eligible for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup provided he scored a win and reached the top 30 in points.

Tony Stewart clinched a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs with two races left in the regular season. His final race at Richmond -- site of the regular-season finale -- ended in a crash after contact with former teammate Ryan Newman.

Stewart joined two Stewart-Haas Racing teammates competing for the championship: Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 41 Chevrolet and Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Chevrolet.

After Jimmie Johnson won at Homestead to claim his record-tying seventh Sprint Cup championship, Johnson gave his helmet from the race to Stewart.

Info taken from NASCAR.com.