Tony Stewart scored the big payday with the Nextel Cup championship. Credit: CIA Stock Photo

Chase Rewind

Stewart's consistency the difference maker down the stretch

Tony Stewart's second Cup championship will be remembered as the end result of teamwork. His dominating on-track performance aside -- his average finish for the 36-race season was a sterling 9.9 -- it was the lack off off-track distractions that made 2005 so much different than 2002.

"This year versus 2002 -- we've had fun all year," Stewart said. "Even when we weren't running good, we were having fun. We got back to why we started racing in the first place and that's because we love being a part of race teams and we love racing and we love competing."

Race No. 1
• New Hampshire International Speedway

	Ryan Newman began the Chase with his only win of the season. Credit: Autostock
	Inside the Chase Standings after Loudon Pos. Driver Pts. Behind 1. T. Stewart 5,230 -- 2. G. Biffle 5,210 -20 3. R. Newman 5,190 -40 tie R. Wallace 5,190 -40 5. M. Kenseth 5,180 -50 6. J. Johnson 5,177 -53 7. M. Martin 5,176 -54 8. J. Mayfield 5,135 -95 9. C. Edwards 5,121 -109 10. Ku. Busch 5,088 -142

Ryan Newman picked a good time to grab his first win of the season.

Newman, who barely squeezed into the Chase for the Nextel Cup, got off to a fast start in NASCAR's 10-race playoff by out-dueling points leader Tony Stewart down the stretch.

Stewart, who started from the pole, dominated through much of the race, leading 173 of 300 laps. But Newman won a late battle with Stewart, passing him on Lap 199 and holding the top spot by two car-lengths.

Following the final pit stops by the leaders, Newman found himself just ahead of Stewart when the green flag waved with 16 laps to go after the last of 10 caution flags.

The streaking Stewart, on the way to his 13th consecutive finish of eighth or better, was relentless in trying to retake the lead, pulling up to the rear quarter panel of Newman's No. 12 Dodge time after time before finally slipping below him on the backstretch on Lap 292.

But Newman, whose last win came a year ago in Dover, wouldn't give up. He stayed with Stewart, got beneath the No. 20 Chevrolet on Lap 299 and pulled ahead, staying out front to win by 0.293-seconds.

It was Newman's 12th career win and, more important, moved him from 10th in the standings -- a position he barely grabbed with a 12th-place finish the previous week at Richmond -- to a tie for third with teammate Rusty Wallace, both of them trailing Stewart by 40 points and Greg Biffle by 20.

Race No. 2
• Dover International Speedway

	Jimmie Johnson took the Chase lead by winning at The Monster Mile. Credit: Autostock
	Inside the Chase Standings after Dover Pos. Driver Pts. Behind 1. J. Johnson 5,362 -- 2. R. Wallace 5,355 -7 3. R. Newman 5,350 -12 4. M. Martin 5,341 -21 5. T. Stewart 5,339 -23 6. G. Biffle 5,339 -23 7. J. Mayfield 5,281 -81 8. C. Edwards 5,259 -103 9. M. Kenseth 5,238 -124 10. Ku. Busch 5,192 -170

Jimmie Johnson barely hung to beat teammate Kyle Busch, and then credited the rookie for helping him win. Busch badly wanted his second career victory, but knew he had done all he could. He said there were no team orders preventing him from trying to beat Johnson.

Tony Stewart, the Nextel Cup points leader for the past seven races, battled an ill-handling car en route to an 18th-place finish. The outcome also ended his streak of 13 consecutive top-10 finishes that included five victories.

The victory was the third this year for Johnson, who led Rusty Wallace by seven points in the Chase among the top-10 drivers. Johnson also won for the third time at Dover and 17th overall.

Stewart came to The Monster Mile 20 points ahead of Greg Biffle, who won here in June. Stewart was tied with Biffle, who cut a tire and finished 13th. They were fifth, 23 points behind Johnson.

Johnson went to the front on Lap 375 lap by passing Mark Martin. Both had pitted a few laps earlier under caution, but Johnson took four tires and after the restart easily outraced Martin, who took only two.

Just before the halfway mark, Roush Racing topped the scoreboard with Biffle, Kurt Busch, Martin and Matt Kenseth running 1-2-3-4. There has never been such a finish of teammates in NASCAR history.

Kurt Busch led 192 laps, but cut a tire and finished 23rd. He's 10th in the standings, 170 points behind.

Race No. 3
• Talladega Superspeedway

	Ryan Newman thought he had taken the points lead, but after further review it was Tony Stewart on top. Credit: Autostock
	Inside the Chase Standings after 'Dega Pos. Driver Pts. Behind 1. T. Stewart 5,519 -- 2. R. Newman 5,515 -4 3. R. Wallace 5,443 -76 4. J. Johnson 5,437 -82 5. G. Biffle 5,421 -98 6. C. Edwards 5,419 -100 7. M. Kenseth 5,408 -111 8. J. Mayfield 5,407 -112 9. M. Martin 5,381 -138 10. Ku. Busch 5,339 -180

Dale Jarrett ended a 98-race drought by winning at Talladega, while Tony Stewart reclaimed his spot on top of the standings and Jimmie Johnson's reputation and championship hopes were damaged.

Jarrett used a three-wide pass to challenge Stewart for the lead on the final lap of a three-lap overtime shootout, then passed Stewart on the backstretch for his first victory since 2003 at the now-defunct North Carolina Speedway.

Kyle Petty spun to bring out a caution before the leaders crossed the finish line, freezing the field. NASCAR then had to review tape to establish a final finishing order.

Stewart finished second, Matt Kenseth was third and Newman fourth.

The finish put Stewart back on top of the Chase for the championship leaderboard after the third of 10 races. He held a four-point advantage over Newman -- who originally thought he was the new points leader -- after a race that shuffled the Chase standings.

Johnson, who started the day as the points leader, was involved in two accidents and dropped to fourth in the standings -- 82 points back.

When the dust settled, at least five Chase drivers suffered some sort of accident-related damage and Johnson's track record at 'Dega had taken another huge hit -- this time for a wreck he was involved in 20 laps into the race.

That accident ended the race for Chase driver Mark Martin, whose car was totaled. Martin came into the race fourth in the standings, but dropped to ninth after the race.

Race No. 4
• Kansas Speedway

	Mark Martin became the third Chase driver to win a Chase race, but after 'Dega he was all but out of the running. Credit: Autostock
	Inside the Chase Standings after Kansas Pos. Driver Pts. Behind 1. T. Stewart 5,684 -- 2. R. Newman 5,609 -75 3. G. Biffle 5,596 -88 4. R. Wallace 5,594 -90 5. J. Johnson 5,592 -92 6. C. Edwards 5,589 -95 7. M. Martin 5,571 -113 8. M. Kenseth 5,568 -116 9. J. Mayfield 5,527 -157 10. Ku. Busch 5,460 -224

Mark Martin is probably NASCAR's best-known pessimist. As Martin raced toward a victory at Kansas that would keep his slim championship hopes alive, he couldn't shake the feeling that something would keep him out of Victory Lane.

Not this time.

Teammate Greg Biffle did give Martin a late scare, but the veteran racer remained out front for the 35th victory of his career. It was Martin's first points victory -- he did win the all-star race at Charlotte in May -- since June 2004 at Dover.

To do it, Martin had to hold off his Roush Racing teammates -- a lot of them.

Martin and Biffle led a team sweep of the top three spots and another Roush driver, Matt Kenseth, finished fifth.

But the last laugh might have belonged to Tony Stewart, who finished fourth and extended his lead from four points to 75 over Ryan Newman. It was Stewart's 15th top-10 finish in the past 16 races and, more importantly, his third in the first four events of the 10-race championship.

Biffle passed Stewart for second place 30 laps from the end of the 267-lap race and went after Martin, cutting a lead of about 20 car-lengths to less than half of that.

But Martin was able to hold on, leading Biffle and Carl Edwards to the finish line. Martin jumped from ninth to seventh in the standings, 113 points behind Stewart with six races left in the Chase.

Race No. 5
• Lowe's Motor Speedway

	Lowe's was the low point in terms of racing in the Chase, but it did tighten the standings. Credit: Autostock
	Inside the Chase Standings after Charlotte Pos. Driver Pts. Behind 1. T. Stewart 5,777 -- 2. J. Johnson 5,777 -- 3. G. Biffle 5,766 -11 4. R. Newman 5,760 -17 5. M. Martin 5,726 -51 6. C. Edwards 5,723 -54 7. R. Wallace 5,685 -92 8. J. Mayfield 5,662 -115 9. M. Kenseth 5,653 -124 10. Ku. Busch 5,635 -142

Slumped over and scowling, Tony Stewart made no effort to mask his disgust after finishing a race in which he feared for his safety.

He wasn't alone.

A smooth, sleek surface at Lowe's -- the result of track president Humpy Wheeler twice using a grinding process on the asphalt as a temporary fix until he could repave it -- created high speeds that proved too fast for the tires Goodyear provided.

In all, the race was marred by an event-record 15 cautions, including 12 for accidents, and most were the result of blown tires. Five of the 10 Chase drivers had tire problems, including Stewart, who crashed hard into the wall after he cut a tire while leading the race.

Stewart -- who at one point radioed his crew that he needed "a renewal of my life insurance policy" when they asked if he needed anything -- ended up finishing 25th and blew all of his 75-point advantage in the standings. He is now tied at the top with Jimmie Johnson, who had his own tire problem but still managed to win his fourth consecutive race at Charlotte.

NASCAR took the unusual step of issuing a mid-race mandate on air pressure requirements for the right-front tires, then sent its inspectors up and down pit road to make sure teams were obeying the order. Those reluctant to meet the mandate were told they would be docked points.

When the Cup race in May was marred by a NASCAR-record 22 cautions, Wheeler went back and levigated the rest of the track. He hoped to make it through Saturday night, resigned to the fact he will have to repave the facility this winter.

Race No. 6
• Martinsville Speedway

	Jeff Gordon didn't make the Chase, but he served notice at Martinsville that he would be back. Credit: Autostock
	Inside the Chase Standings after Martinsville Pos. Driver Pts. Behind 1. T. Stewart 5,957 -- 2. J. Johnson 5,942 -15 3. R. Newman 5,894 -63 4. G. Biffle 5,874 -83 5. C. Edwards 5,808 -149 6. R. Wallace 5,791 -166 7. M. Martin 5,787 -170 8. Ku. Busch 5,785 -172 9. M. Kenseth 5,785 -172 10. J. Mayfield 5,741 -216

Jeff Gordon was out of the Chase, and thought he deserved to be, but while he was breaking in a new crew chief, Gordon talked a lot about being better next year. That didn't mean he was waiting until then.

Gordon and new crew chief Steve Letarte got started on the comeback at Martinsville by holding off Tony Stewart in a three-lap dash. It was Gordon's first victory since May 1 at Talladega, and a much-needed pick-me-up for the team.

Gordon beat Stewart by .235 seconds, with teammate Jimmie Johnson third. Stewart led Johnson by 15 points for first in the Chase.

Gordon assumed the lead when he and five others didn't follow the other top contenders onto pit road. Also staying out were the Roush Racing trio of Greg Biffle, Mark Martin and Matt Kenseth. Stewart came off pit road seventh.

Stewart had dominated to that point, leading 283 of 343 laps, and easily passed the first six cars and seemed content to wait for Gordon to fade. Gordon was racing on tires more than 50 laps older than Stewart's. Instead, Gordon expanded his lead.

The runner-up finish was the second in a row for Stewart at Martinsville. He led 247 laps in the spring before a tire came off with 70 laps to go. This time, he again dominated until the shadows grew longer, then wasn't as strong after his last two pit stops. But his dominance did give him 10 bonus points -- 5 for leading a lap and 5 for leading the most in the race -- to take first place to himself with four races left.

Greg Biffle, who was third to start the day, just 11 points behind, wound up 20th. Fourth-place Ryan Newman, who was 17 points back, ran 10th to grab third place. Newman is 63 points back, and Biffle fell to fourth -- 83 off the pace.

The race was much tougher for Chase contenders Martin, Carl Edwards and Rusty Wallace, who started the day fifth through seventh in the point standings. Martin finished 34th in a backup car; Edwards was 26th, one lap down; and Wallace was running fifth when he crashed on a restart with 19 laps to go. He finished 19th. Edwards was fifth, 149 points back. Wallace was 166 back, and Martin was 170 behind.

Race No. 7
• Atlanta Motor Speedway

	Carl Edwards swept Atlanta for the first of consecutive Chase wins. Credit: Autostock
	Inside the Chase Standings after Atlanta Pos. Driver Pts. Behind 1. T. Stewart 6,100 -- 2. J. Johnson 6,057 -43 3. G. Biffle 6,025 -75 4. C. Edwards 5,993 -107 5. R. Newman 5,993 -107 6. M. Martin 5,957 -143 7. M. Kenseth 5,945 -155 8. R. Wallace 5,843 -257 9. Ku. Busch 5,840 -260 10. J. Mayfield 5,790 -310

Carl Edwards completed a sweep of the Cup races at Atlanta, and made up some ground in the Chase.

Edwards, who barely held off veteran Jimmie Johnson for his first Cup victory on the Georgia track in March, had a dominating car through the second half of the 325-lap race.

Edwards, in his first full season in NASCAR's top series, lost a lead of more than 6 seconds when the last of nine caution flags waved for debris on Lap 283. But he was able to regain control and pulled away to earn his third victory of the season, beating four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon to the finish line by 2.713-seconds, half the front straightaway on the 1.5-mile oval.

Tony Stewart, the hottest driver in the series since June, finished ninth and increased his lead atop the standings from 15 points to 43 points over Johnson, who finished 16th -- the last driver on the lead lap.

Edwards, who led eight times for 115 laps, including the final 36, led four other Chase contenders in finishing ahead of Stewart, tightening the overall points battle with three races remaining.

Ryan Newman, who began the day third in the points, finished a lap down in 23rd and lost considerable ground.

Heading to Texas, Stewart and Johnson still had a cushion over the rest of the Chase field. Biffle was 75 points behind Stewart in third, with Edwards and Newman tied for fourth 107 points back, Martin 143 behind and Kenseth 155 back.

Race No. 8
• Texas Motor Speedway

	Greg Biffle's Chase hopes went up in smoke at Texas. Credit: Autostock
	Inside the Chase Standings after Texas Pos. Driver Pts. Behind 1. T. Stewart 6,255 -- 2. J. Johnson 6,217 -38 3. C. Edwards 6,178 -77 4. G. Biffle 6,133 -122 5. M. Martin 6,132 -123 6. M. Kenseth 6,120 -135 7. R. Newman 6,081 -174 8. Ku. Busch 5,974 -281 9. R. Wallace 5,940 -315 10. J. Mayfield 5,848 -407

Carl Edwards just wouldn't be denied at Texas.

The 26-year-old wunderkind charged back from a late pit stop that dropped him to sixth place to pass Roush Racing teammate Mark Martin for the lead two laps from the end. It was Edwards' second consecutive victory and thrust him into the battle for the series championship with two races remaining.

Tony Stewart had a solid if unspectacular day. The 2002 champion finished sixth and saw his lead in the Chase drop from 43 points to just 38 over Jimmie Johnson, who managed to pass Stewart two laps from the end and finish fifth.

Edwards, who now had four victories in his first full season in Cup racing, jumped from a tie for fourth, 107 points behind, to solo possession of third, 77 behind Stewart.

Debris brought out the sixth and final caution flag of the 334-lap race on Lap 319 and both Edwards, who was leading, and fifth-place Stewart pitted for right-side tires, while Martin and several other leaders stayed on track.

Edwards was sixth when the green flag came back out on Lap 323. He got caught in traffic for a while, but quickly moved to third, passed teammate Matt Kenseth for second on Lap 330 and erased a 12-car lead by Martin before passing him on the outside coming off Turn 2 on the 1.5-mile oval on Lap 333.

Greg Biffle, who started the day third, finished 20th and slipped to fourth in the standings, 122 points behind. Martin moved up to sixth, one point behind teammate Biffle and 12 ahead of Kenseth, who finished third and gave the powerful Roush team its third 1-2-3 finish of the season.

Race No. 9
• Phoenix International Speedway

	Kyle Busch won one for his brother Kurt, whose Chase officially ended with his suspension. Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images
	Inside the Chase Standings after Phoenix Pos. Driver Pts. Behind 1. T. Stewart 6,415 -- 2. J. Johnson 6,363 -52 3. C. Edwards 6,328 -87 4. G. Biffle 6,313 -102 5. M. Martin 6,253 -162 6. R. Newman 6,208 -207 7. M. Kenseth 6,187 -228 8. R. Wallace 6,016 -399 9. Ku. Busch 5,974 -441 10. J. Mayfield 5,939 -476

Rookie Kyle Busch out-drove NASCAR's top contenders to win in the desert.

All but one, that is.

Kurt Busch was suspended by Roush Racing earlier in the day for the last two races of the season after police cited him for reckless driving. Officers said he smelled of alcohol and was belligerent during a traffic stop near the speedway.

Kenny Wallace drove the No. 97 Roush car and finished 16th.

Title contender Greg Biffle dominated the race, leading 189 of 312 laps. But the younger Busch used a pit stop strategy to get track position, taking the lead for the first time on Lap 230 by staying on track when the leaders pitted.

Biffle, who pitted, had slipped all the way to 13th for the restart. He sliced through traffic and eventually caught and passed Busch on Lap 281. But the youngster wouldn't give up, challenging the veteran and regaining the lead for good on Lap 285 with a strong inside move on the 1-mile oval.

It was the second win of Busch's career. He also won at California Speedway in September.

The suspension and the strong finish by the younger Busch took some of the spotlight away from the battle for the title, with leader Tony Stewart finishing fourth behind four-time champion Jeff Gordon.

Stewart's showing, combined with a sixth-place finish by Carl Edwards, who came into the race with two consecutive victories, and a seventh-place run by Jimmie Johnson left Stewart with a 52-point lead over Johnson and 87 over Edwards with only Homestead-Miami Speedway remaining.

Race No. 10
• Homestead-Miami Speedway

	Tony Stewart laid back at Homestead to clinch his second Cup title. Credit: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
	Inside the Chase Final point standings Pos. Driver Pts. Behind 1. T. Stewart 6,533 -- 2. G. Biffle 6,498 -35 3. C. Edwards 6,498 -35 4. M. Martin 6,428 -105 5. J. Johnson 6,406 -127 6. R. Newman 6,359 -174 7. M. Kenseth 6,352 -181 8. R. Wallace 6,140 -393 9. J. Mayfield 6,073 -460 10. Ku. Busch 5,974 -559

Tony Stewart was smooth and steady for an entire race. An entire season. An entire championship run.

Stewart cruised to his second NASCAR championship in four years, capping an uncharacteristically calm season for the former Bad Boy. He won races, kept his temper in check and avoided every major incident long enough to cement himself as one of the greatest drivers of his time.

Needing only to run a clean race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Stewart hovered just outside the top 10 and away from any potential danger. He ended up 15th, winning the title by 35 points over Greg Biffle, who won the Ford 400 for the second consecutive year by besting teammate Mark Martin in a door-to-door finish.

Stewart became just the 14th driver in NASCAR history with more than one championship and joined four-time winner Jeff Gordon as the only active full-time drivers with multiple titles.

Only Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards and Biffle had a chance to beat Stewart for the championship, and Johnson saw his hopes squashed 126 laps into the race when an apparent leak in his right rear tire finally gave out. The tire exploded and sent him smashing into the wall.

A two-time runner up for the title the past two seasons, Johnson desperately wanted to avoid falling short yet again. But as the cars raced around him as he stood dejected in the garage, Johnson would have traded anything to be back out there with a shot at second. Instead, he dropped all the way back to fifth in a frustrating end to his season.

The race also marked the first 1-2-3-4 finish by teammates, as Roush Racing's Biffle, Martin, Matt Kenseth and Edwards crossed the finish line in order.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.