Add my voice to the chorus of Tony Stewart fans

It is probably not possible to uniquely express my adoration for the way Tony Stewart won the 2011 Sprint Cup Championship after witnessing his performance Sunday at Homestead. My voice blends into the loud chorus of NASCAR fans who thoroughly enjoyed the final race of the 2011 season, which is arguably the best race ever.

Everything about the race was pure joy, including the rain delays that only served to tease us into simply wanting more.

There could have been no better finale to this season, unless of course if Ryan Newman would have taken the checkered flag, Stewart came in second, and Edwards around fifth or so, but forgive my fantasy.

The reality is that Tony Stewart earned every accolade afforded to him as the new Sprint Cup Champion. His driving was perfection, as he passed 118 cars on his way to victory. Is that unprecedented? It has to be, though I have no idea. It certainly is not something I’ve witnessed since I first tuned into NASCAR in 2002. It was an amazing feat. It was even more so when considering this was Stewart’s fifth win in the ten-race season finale. To say that luck was on his side, is just woefully inadequate.

Stewart showed a kind of confidence that I have not seen before. He was determined to win his third championship, and he did it. Stewart’s jovial, devilish personality certainly adds to the charm of his win, at least in my opinion. As the Champion—a three-time Champion--perhaps NASCAR will listen when he speaks.

It will come as no surprise to anyone who reads my blog that Stewart-Haas Racing is my favorite team. For Tony Stewart to carry on the tradition of driver/winner owner started by Richard Petty and continued with Alan Kulwicki in 1992 is just one more cause for celebration. Stewart has so many reasons to be proud.

Darian Grubb

Image via Flickr

It was a shock to learn in post-race interviews that Stewart's Crew Chief Darian Grubb was fired prior to the Chase for the Championship and this was perhaps his final race as Crew Chief for the #14.

I find it difficult to believe that any perceivable sins during the regular season would not be forgiven after such a formidable performance that resulted in Stewart's team winning five times out of the last ten races. Stewart has said over-and-over that the wins were a result of teamwork. Therefore, I cannot imagine that new talks won't result in a new contract for Grubb in 2012.

If for some reason that doesn't happen, I'm sure he will have no problem finding some other championship caliber team to take him on

Kudos to Carl Edwards

Image via Wikipedia

Carl Edwards deserves recognition for his conduct, both during and after the race. It had to be devastating for him to finish second after working so hard. Though he was clearly out-driven by Stewart, and he knew it, he  drove an exemplary race underscored by his showing a lot of class in the way that he accepted his fate as the number-two driver. Edwards can certainly hold his head up high for his performance in Sunday’s race. He made no mistakes. He started out front and pretty much stayed there for the entire race.

It is painful to think of the Sunday afternoon void until once again the engines crank for the Daytona 500 on Feb. 26. The off-season is always a sad time, even though the time goes by quickly.

NASCAR Race to the Chase

Could it be that I actually slept better last night, after watching the satisfying conclusion of NASCAR's race to the chase at Richmond?

A good outcome

Except for a few glitches, the outcome of the race was very satisfying.

My own personal satisfaction

Ryan Newman overcame immense obstacles to make the Chase. I have chronicled some of them in this blog. I predicted he would accomplish his goal to make the chase early in the year. I never gave up, because he never gave up.

Over the course of this season I have heard Ryan's voice on the radio exhibit frustration and anger, that accompanies falling short, being victimized by Lady Luck, or a bad-handling race car, or making an uncharacteristic mistake.

I've heard him sound defeated, exhausted, and sickened.

But I've heard the exhilaration and hope that comes from a job well done. I've seen him place in the top 10 with a car capable of running no better than the 20th spot.

It was quite satisfying -- to hear the sound of Ryan's voice following the Richmond race, the happy banter between he and Crew Chief Tony Gibson as the last lap pass that put Ryan into 10th place in the race.

There was no doubt that this race was adrenalin-driven, perhaps even more so than usual. That translated to the fans. Not only was there a race to watch, but for me, it was also the numbers element. I watched the performance of each of the drivers around the latter end of the top 12 on the leader board.

I didn't see qualifying, but when I learned that Ryan was to start 21st, I was nervous. It was said that he'd have to finish 16th to remain in the chase. But as I watched, I realized that figure was meaningless. It failed to take the other drivers' performance into account. I soon realized this would not be as difficult as predicted.

Other goals were achieved

Denny Hamlin won his first race at his home town track.

Tony Stewart accomplished greatness, both as a team owner and driver this year. Not only did he win the points battle overall, but both of his cars made the chase in Stewart-Haas Racing's first season.

Mark Martin had a great night -- and a great season. He is genuine when he says this is the best season of his career. He has worked very hard and done very well.

Juan Pablo Montoya accomplished his 3-year goal.

Brian Vickers worked his butt off to make the chase this year. And he did it, by just 8 points.

Not everyone had a good night

It was not a satisfying race for Matt Kenseth or Kyle Busch.

Matt Kenseth had no preconceived notions about this race. His team had not been performing well all season. While he had a few good runs, he had more that were not. He is a past champion and certainly championship caliber. So, he knows what he has to do in the future.

Kyle Busch was a gentleman about his near miss. He finished eight points out. That fact paled in comparison to the good run he had that caused him to finish in the top five. I admit being surprised by his reaction. The Kyle Busch we saw a few months ago would not have been so genial about his loss. This was good to see.

Will the Sprint Cup Champion be the Best of the Best?

It is entirely possible that the new champion may be one who has not won a race. So the burning question that must be asked, however: With four wins this season, why isn't Kyle Busch in contention for the Sprint Cup Championship? There are those who believe that the championship should be based on wins, not some arbitrary points system.

This debate will likely rage on just as it did in 2003 when Kenseth became the Champion with one win while Ryan Newman won eight races.