After 40 years in motorsports
source:
irl.racing-live.com
Brian Stewart has lived and breathed racing for the
last 40 years, winning championships as a driver and as a team owner. His
passion and success in motorsports will culminate in his induction into the
Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame on Jan. 29. The Indy Racing League Menards
Infiniti Pro Series team owner will be recognized with 12 others at the
Mississauga Convention Centre in Toronto.
"If you take the names out of Canada, the Villeneuves, the Carpentiers, the
Tracys, Brian Stewart is probably one of the best-known Canadian personalities
in motorsports," said Roger Bailey, executive director of the Menards Infiniti
Pro Series, who has known Stewart for more than 20 years. "And he's certainly
one of the best ambassadors Canadian motorsports has ever had."
Stewart's story has humble beginnings. Born in Port Glasgow, Scotland during
World War II, Stewart's family immigrated to Canada in 1948 to seek
opportunities away from an area that had been devastated by the war. Stewart
soon fell in love with cars.
"I liked cars, liked to get my hands dirty working as a mechanic," Stewart said.
"I was a mechanic on foreign cars, in particular German foreign cars, and a guy
that was a good customer and eventually became a good friend, he bought a
Formula Vee. He said, 'Would you like to come out and work on it?' and I did.
"It turned out that I could drive it
faster than he could. I had no racing history. I just played hockey. I could
drive it faster than he could, and the guy just walked away on the deal, just
walked away from the car and said this is your sport. Once you start winning in
racing, it's hard to walk away."