Tony Stewart and Greg Biffle need no reason to run any harder, especially after being shuffled to the back of the pack in the Chase. But on Sunday at Dover, the drivers have an added incentive. If either finishes first, he will win one million dollars for one lucky fan.

The bounty is part of the payoff of Office Depot's "Official Small Business of NASCAR" sweepstakes.

“

Trust me, if I'm in second place on the last lap, I will get there for Rose. It's a lot easier to explain why I crashed someone when a million dollars for a fan is at stake."

”

-- TONY STEWART

Rose Berger, owner of Professional Cleaning Service in Greer, S.C., will be pulling for Smoke from the No. 14 pit box. Nearby on pit road, Mike Pagano of PaganoPhoto in Cedar Brook, N.J., will be rooting for Biffle.

The small business owners will have their logos emblazoned on the rear panels of No. 14 Chevy and No. 16 Ford during Sunday's race.

Even if Biffle or Stewart doesn't get to Victory Lane, a significant prize awaits: The driver who posts the better finish will help Berger or Pagano to earn the designation of "Official Small Business of NASCAR."

The monetary value from the paint scheme, VIP treatment at track, and the general wonder to be experienced on Sunday is a pretty good day at the races.

But the contest finalists also got to spend a day with Stewart and Biffle on Wednesday. At SPEED's studios outside Charlotte, Rose and Michael watched their drivers announce the promotion on Race Hub. Afterwards, they joined them for dinner at The Brickhouse Tavern in Davidson, a 120-year old former cotton mill converted into a bustling eatery.

Stewart, a part owner in the restaurant, personally picked the location.

Smoke, wearing a worn grey "Bubba the Love Sponge" T-shirt, ate only a small portion of his spaghetti and meatballs. He is fast during Sprint Cup races, not so much in qualifying and perhaps the world's slowest eater, only periodically dipping his fork into the dish.

To be fair, in front of Tony was a massive plate that could have been a week's worth of rations in many third-world nations. And he was doing a lot of talking. When the boss's mostly untouched serving was returned to the kitchen and he ordered chocolate ice cream for dessert, the ostensibly offended chef sent back an even bigger dish with about 18 scoops.

Tony requested spoons and bowls, and dutifully served the melting chocolaty wealth to the contest winners and assorted Office Depot guests.

Biffle, on the other hand, requested a doggy bag for his partially-eaten meal. It was a commonplace act which thoroughly impressed the two small business owners, who know a thing or two about scrimping and saving.

Here is a world-class athlete who drives for Jack Roush, has big-time sponsorship from 3M and the National Guard, and owns his own Falcon jet and helicopter.

And yet, Biffle is not above strolling from a down-home restaurant in the hub of NASCAR Nation with a large bag of leftovers. That private jet and chopper suddenly feels like smart transportation rather than a rich man's extravagance when you consider the driver cracking open the Styrofoam container later that night.

That guy-next-door quality appeals to fans like Berger and Pagano, pummeled by the worst economy since big city bankers sold apples on street corners.

Berger has lost a third of her cleaning business, as clients from mortgage brokers to building supply companies close their doors in economically hard-hit South Carolina, which boasts the nation's second-highest unemployment rate.

A single parent who's followed the sport since she was a girl brought to Michigan International Speedway by her father who worked at Chrysler for 30 years, Rose now cleans offices seven days a week. Professional Cleaning Service has seven employees, including her three daughters; the small staff services 33 different buildings. They work their tails off, taking special pride in attending to the every detail and kindling personal relationships.

Meantime, in Michael Pagano's hometown in New Jersey -- where Bruce Springsteen sang "Those jobs are going boys, and they ain't coming back" -- the state environmental inspector is often furloughed, sacrificing up to 30 percent of his pay.

With two children to support, he and his wife, Gail, each work a second job. Pagano fell in love with photography in high school in 1980. Then he fell for NASCAR after his son received a Jeff Gordon lunchbox in kindergarten and began watching races. Twelve years later, there are fewer businesses to inspect, and he's using the free time to build his hobby into a serious enterprise.

"The chance to win a $10,000 Office Depot business makeover and $1 million is thrilling for small businesses like ours," Pagano said. "The last time our family went to Dover, Greg Biffle won. Maybe we're his lucky charm." (Continued)