Tony Stewart’s NASCAR resume speaks for itself. He is a three-time Cup Series champion, Hall of Famer, and successful team owner. But behind the trophies and the fiery “Smoke” persona lies a quieter influence that fans rarely knew about. Stewart recently revealed how a family in Rushville, Indiana, instilled values that shaped not just his career, but his character.

The Rushville family that quietly shaped Tony Stewart

“It wasn’t necessarily the words all the time, but when you’re around a family like that and they had so many friends and family in town and you spend time with them, you learn why they’re good people and you don’t even realize you’re adopting those traits while you’re there,” Stewart reflected on the 21st July episode of the show, ‘The Couches That Made Us’

“And I think those are things that early in my career, probably the stuff that a lot of the NASCAR fans that were around me wish they could have seen, you know, in my time, didn’t get to see that.”

For Tony Stewart, the biggest lessons of his life did not come from a race car. They came from living with Larry Martz and family. Larry Martz is a longtime open-wheel racing figure from Rushville, Indiana, who served as an early sponsor, mentor, and close friend to three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart.

The family welcomed him into their home for a year and a half during the formative years of his racing career. Stewart explained that it wasn’t about lectures or strict rules. Simply being around people who valued integrity, family, and treating others with respect naturally influenced the person he became.

“I tell everybody. You don’t even have to be young. I I I think what’s really important nowadays in our society and our world is surround yourself with good people. And it has nothing to do with what they have valuewise of physical things or money. It’s it’s surround yourself with people that are have integrity and and character and and morals and and if you can surround yourself with people like that, you’re going to be in a pretty good place.”

Those a year and a half years coincided with one of the most important periods of Tony Stewart’s journey. He competed in Three-Quarter (TQ) midgets across Indiana while earning just $5 an hour at a local machine shop to help support himself. The sacrifices paid off.

After winning a World Karting Association championship in 1987, Stewart climbed through the UMRA ranks before joining USAC in 1991, where he earned Rookie of the Year honors. He later captured consecutive USAC National Midget championships in 1994 and 1995, along with the 1995 Silver Crown title, establishing himself as one of America’s brightest young racers.

Looking back, Stewart believes those achievements were only part of the story. Living with a family that gathered around the dinner table, spent time together, and cared enough to hold him accountable gave him the maturity to handle life beyond racing. It is a side of the three-time Cup Series champion that fans rarely saw, but one he credits as being every bit as important as the trophies that eventually followed.

Rico Abreu Pays Tribute to Tony Stewart

Tony Stewart’s influence extends far beyond NASCAR, and Rico Abreu recently made sure fans were reminded of that. During Kings Royal week at Eldora Speedway, Abreu unveiled a special tribute car modeled after Stewart’s legendary “Rushville Rocket” sprint cars. The machine carried Stewart’s iconic No. 14 and featured the classic candy apple red, raspberry blue, and chrome blue paint scheme that longtime dirt racing fans instantly recognized.

The tribute was especially meaningful because it came at Eldora Speedway, a place Stewart has called home since purchasing the legendary half-mile dirt oval from founder Earl Baltes in 2004. Under Stewart’s ownership, Eldora has remained one of dirt racing’s crown jewels while preserving the traditions that made it famous.

The tribute was more than just a throwback paint scheme. Abreu, who has long spoken about Stewart’s mentorship and influence on his career, backed it up with an impressive performance. Starting 10th, he charged through the field to finish second in the Kings Royal, giving the iconic No. 14-inspired car a memorable result.

For many fans, it was a fitting celebration of Stewart’s lasting impact on sprint car racing and the next generation of dirt racing stars.

By sharing the untold story, Stewart opened a window on how the Martz family shaped his values. It shows how the unseen foundation of integrity and accountability helped build one of NASCAR’s greatest competitors.