“I didn’t let Tony win. I made a mistake. I didn’t execute very good. “ That was Denny Hamlin’s brutally honest assessment after one of the most unforgettable finishes in recent NASCAR history. It wasn’t just another road course duel; it was a high-stakes, elbows-out dogfight that ended with Tony Stewart muscling his way to victory at Sonoma in 2016.

A desperate, last-lap lunge that slammed Hamlin into the wall and snapped an 84-race win streak made headlines and split the fan base. Now, as the NASCAR Cup Series is prepared to return to the iconic Sonoma Raceway, Stewart’s aggressive move and the dramatic finish it produced still linger in the minds of fans. It was a vintage calculated, and merciless execution.

Tony Stewart closed the door on Hamlin to win Sonoma for the last time in 2016

Tony Stewart’s win at the 2016 Toyota/Save Mart 350 wasn’t just an emotional resurgence; it was an expertly crafted comeback. Stewart, starting from 10th on the grid, looked poised but not dominant early on. He kept himself within striking distance of the leaders as the field settled into its rhythm. However, it wasn’t until mid-race that Stewart truly found an opening.

After running consistently in the top 10, Stewart’s No. 14 Chevrolet got shuffled back to 15 following a pit stop just beyond halfway. His crew had gambled, anticipating a debris caution when it came 22 laps from the end; it flipped the entire race. With others heading down pit road, Tony stayed out and inherited the lead, a move that put him right where he needed to be.

From that point on, it was a matter of survival. Two restarts came and went, each testing Tony Stewart’s ability to hold off hungry contenders like Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. Stuart didn’t flinch. He kept his nose clean until he didn’t have to anymore. The final 14 laps were tense, and the last two had short trouble creeping in. His No. 14 machine began to wheel hop through turn seven, the exact moment Hamlin had been waiting for.

But the door cracked open; Hamlin took it. He made the move and turned seven of the final lap and surged to the front. But that lead was short-lived. Moments later, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver’s car snapped wide in turn 11, giving Tony the angle he needed. He didn’t hesitate, driving hard into the corner, making contact and bouncing Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota off the wall before drag racing him to the checkered flag. Tony Stewart was back on top. He later explained, saying, “ I had just a little bit too much rear brake for Turn 7. I felt a nudge when I got down there… if I could get to (Hamlin), he knew what was coming.” Tony had planned it, and he made sure Hamlin knew it too.

Hamlin, despite his disappointment, didn’t lash out. He acknowledged his own error in turn seven that overheated the rear tires, causing the car to go wide that ultimately cost the race. Hamlin said, “ Once I knew he had position and we had a wall on the other side of us… I don’t think he was going to leave it to chance.”

In fact, Denny Hamlin even praised him. Stewart said, “(Hamlin) told me he was proud of me. He knows what it means. We were teammates for a long time, and we respect each other a lot.” It was a hard-nosed, veteran move, Tony’s way of saying goodbye to Sonoma with one final stamp of dominance. Tony Stewart had last won his race in June 2013, and this win at Sonoma, just three years later, ended his 84-race winless streak. After the pressure was lifted off his shoulders, Tony went on to say, “Especially at a place you’re going to for the last time, it means a bunch. It’s special, trust me.” And now, NASCAR is seeing a new road course hero take shape; a certain Kiwi by the name of Shane van Gisbergen is dominating the road and street courses. The 36-year-old even got compared to NASCAR veteran Tony Stewart, and this is what the fans had to say about it.

SVG gets virtual badge of honor after comparison with Tony Stewart

The buzz around SVG’s rise in NASCAR reached a new crescendo when NASCAR classics pointed out an eye-catching start on X: both Tony Stewart and SVG had clinched free wins within their first 33 NASCAR cup series starts the post drew immediate traction, especially after veteran journalist Jeff Gluck amplified it with a clever nod, “ Smoke 🤝Bloke,” bridging Tony Stewart’s legendary nickname with SVG’s New Zealand roots for just like that, the comparisons began swirling.

“Smoke probably wasn’t 27th in points, to be fair,” said one fan. Another passionate fan said, “Smoke was not on 3 road courses. Big. Difference. Smoke can win on either. Other guy can only win RC.” One chimed in with, “Stewart could run on an oval and is a 3 time champion. SVG is not even an average driver on an oval.” Another fan put it very bluntly and straightforwardly, saying, “Tony Stewart did it in a stock car. SVG did it in a sports car that was specifically designed to cater to him, and destroy the legacies of every other American driver.”

At the heart of the comparison is a broader question: can early flashes of brilliance match up to long-term greatness? Stewart, through his grit and versatility, set a standard that many fans feel SVG has yet to meet, not because he lacks talent, but because the legacy of “Smoke” was built on mastering every kind of track, in every kind of car, against the best of the best, week in and week out. And with the Cup Series now circling back to Sonoma, it’s the perfect time to revisit just how high Stewart set the bar.