Nine weeks ago, Tony Stewart NASCAR scanned, a list of 12 drivers who qualified for the Chase for the Sprint Cup and circled the names of seven he believed had a chance to win a championship.Stewart refused.
"You're (kidding) me?" Stewart said his remote chance of winning the title.
Sandbagging Stewart. He had won the 26-race regular season and the hunt began in the ninth.
But he won in Chicago. And next week, New Hampshire. So after a few stumbles, he won at Martinsville. And in Texas.
Stewart uses these four wins to pull within three points of Chase leader Carl Edwards, who has won only one race all season - in March in Las Vegas - but it is one of the best drivers in the sport.
And this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, he will come down to a winner-take-all season finale between a pair of Midwest. Edwards of Columbia is looking for his Cup championship first. Stewart, of Columbus, Ind., will attempt to win his third championship.
There may be a greater contrast in personalities.
Stewart, 40, is eternally grumpy frown behind the beard and wears puffy cheeks and double chin. Indulge a Burger King, one of his sponsors. Edwards, 32, is all smiles dimples all the time, baby face and a fitness freak that supports and eat low fat Subway sandwiches.
Stewart V. Edwards is more like the Ford vs. Chevy. And Cave Man vs. Cover Boy. Mr. Media vs. Mr. Clean.
This was a great game so far, but the gloves out of the race on Sunday, when, after 10 383 towers and 13,836 miles, NASCAR crowns its latest masterpiece.
"I respect him as a driver, but it is not friends this weekend," said Stewart. "This is war. This is a battle. This is the MS. And 'no holds barred this weekend. I have not come to be a step and slide away, so we're going to go for it.
"I broke my mom to win the championship."
Then, turning to Edwards, said with a smile, "I will destroy her mother to win a championship."
Edwards did not miss a beat.
"He talked about you guessed it," Edwards said before moving on to Stewart. "The problem is that you do not have the points lead again this year, right?"
When Stewart reminded Edwards has won two championships, Edwards was the response:
"You talked a lot about your past successes. It is very respectable. And really, joking aside, that makes it more fun if we can beat you. It will make me more proud.
"But this will be a good race. Do not think for a second that none of us will slip anything. We're going to get out of here, we're going to race hard, and we're going to this championship. I do not think you could find two pilots harder of us, and we both know that the story ".
The load has shaved Stewart 16 points behind Edwards advantage over the last four races, leaving Edwards with a lead of three points outside the nearest third between the first and the second entry of the last Cup race from the start position of the structure on the basis of points in 1975.
All Edwards has won the title on Sunday, Stewart will be completed first. If Stewart wins the title of her. And if they are placed in a tie for lead in points (drivers also receive one point for the tour leader and leading most laps), Stewart has the tie breaker is based on the most wins during the period and will be the first to raise the Winston Cup (2002), the Nextel Cup (2005), and Sprint Cup (2011). Would also remain the only driver to win a prize as well as the regular season and the Chase points format.
While Stewart was the dominant factor in the Chase, Edwards is going to be hard to beat. He won last year and in 2008 and has four top-five and six top 10 in seven starts Homestead. It has the highest average finish (5.7) in Homestead and average finish of the season (9.5).
Stewart, who is a candidate to become the first owner / driver to win a championship since Alan Kulwicki overcame a 30-point deficit in the final of the 1992 season in Atlanta, is no exception to Homestead. He has two wins, three were among the first five years and an average of 12.4 in 12 races.
"The biggest thing going for it Carl, it's a fantastic circuit for him," said Kevin Harvick, who is third in the standings, but just like 10 other Chase drivers mathematically eliminated. "But coming here for a championship race and come here just to win a race are two different things.
"It is the position they had in the past, only to come here and win a race and not have to worry about parts failures or something. The biggest advantage is that Tony is not so sure. Is relaxed and confident on your computer ... made it possible.
"They have that moment of victory, and Carl is a track I have been very successful."
Stewart does not have an explanation of how his team has caught fire, when he began the pursuit.
"Maybe it's just something as simple as getting all the bad luck of the road earlier this year and it seems that the last seven weeks were back to normal scenario."
And if he should end up in Homestead delay the championship trophy, Chase forecast how it already released?
"I declare," Stewart said, "bumbling idiot
