Tony Stewart Wins 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship In Impressive Style

Tony Stewart emerges from his No. 14 Chevy in Victory Lane at Homestead-Miami Speedway after winning the Ford 400 and claiming his third NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship on Sunday, Nov. 20. (By Chris Graythen, Getty Images)With “Walk-Off Win,” Stewart Takes Third Title At Homestead

by NASCAR Media PR
Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Tony Stewart went from all-time great to legend, capturing his third career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship in grand fashion – a number that places him among a short list of historic NASCAR figures.

With a victory in Sunday’s Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Stewart became the seventh champion to win the season finale in his championship season. He out-dueled runner-up Carl Edwards in a finale befitting a championship showdown, tying Edwards in points – but winning the championship on a tiebreaker. Stewart’s five wins bested Edwards’ one, clinching the title for Stewart.

Stewart won his first championship in 2002 and second in 2005. The Indiana native now joins David Pearson, Lee Petty, Darrell Waltrip and Cale Yarborough – all NASCAR Hall of Fame members or inductees – as three-time champions. Nine drivers in NASCAR Sprint Cup history have won three or more championships.

Stewart entered the season-ending race trailing Edwards by three points. It marked the second consecutive season and fourth time since the inception of the position-based points system in 1975 the champion has overcome a points deficit entering the final race.

Stewart, co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing with Gene Haas, is the first driver-owner to claim the championship since Alan Kulwicki in 1992. The 2011 season is the organization’s third under its current ownership.

Stewart failed to win a race during the 26-race regular season. But he quickly caught fire, winning the first two races of the Chase, at Chicagoland Speedway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He ultimately won five times – twice on consecutive weekends – to break the record for most Chase wins in a single season. Stewart has won 11 times in Chase history, second only to Jimmie Johnson’s 20.

Entering Sunday’s season finale, Stewart had led the points just twice in 2011, ironically after Edwards’ only victory in Las Vegas and following the fall race at New Hampshire. He finished the year with 44 career victories, tied for 15th on the all-time wins list.

Those wins wound up trumping Edwards’ consistency during both the regular season and the playoffs. Stewart’s nine top-five and 19 top-10 finishes trailed Edwards, however, the series-high five wins ultimately were the decisive factor in the championship’s outcome.

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NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race Number 36
Unofficial Race Results for the 13Th Annual Ford 400 - Sunday, November 20, 2011
Homestead-Miami Speedway - Homestead, FL - 1.5 Mile Paved
Total Race Length - 267 Laps - 400.5 Miles - Purse: $5,194,299

Leader
Fin Str Car Driver Team Laps Pts Bns Driver Rating Winnings Status Tms Laps
1 15 14 Tony Stewart Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet 267 47 4 126.3 $341,258 Running 4 65
2 1 99 Carl Edwards Aflac Ford 267 44 2 141.3 $296,416 Running 6 119
3 2 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota 267 42 1 121.1 $189,450 Running 1 5
4 6 17 Matt Kenseth Crown Royal Ford 267 41 1 114.7 $173,736 Running 2 15
5 7 24 Jeff Gordon Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet 267 40 1 118.1 $159,386 Running 2 7
6 17 33 Clint Bowyer Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet 267 38 91.7 $145,633 Running
7 3 4 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Toyota 267 37 93.2 $118,458 Running
8 21 29 Kevin Harvick Budweiser Chevrolet 267 37 1 100.5 $130,811 Running 2 12
9 10 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Express Toyota 267 35 92.5 $123,875 Running
10 31 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet 267 35 1 83.6 $90,400 Running 1 4
11 11 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet 267 33 102.2 $81,150 Running
12 14 39 Ryan Newman U.S. ARMY Chevrolet 267 32 93.9 $110,625 Running
13 16 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Chevrolet 267 31 71.1 $98,795 Running
14 26 1 Jamie McMurray Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet 267 30 78.2 $107,664 Running
15 12 43 A J Allmendinger Best Buy Ford 267 29 83.2 $110,086 Running
16 23 27 Paul Menard Duracell/Menards Chevrolet 267 28 71.2 $79,475 Running
17 24 83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Toyota 267 27 73.3 $98,389 Running
18 28 00 David Reutimann Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota 267 26 61.4 $98,783 Running
19 32 20 Joey Logano The Home Depot Toyota 267 25 65.1 $78,575 Running
20 5 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Dodge 266 25 1 96.3 $95,158 Running 2 11
21 43 71 Mike Bliss(i) School Media Ford 266 0 46.1 $84,100 Running
22 40 38 Travis Kvapil(i) Long John Silver's Ford 266 0 47.7 $84,283 Running 1 3
23 19 18 Kyle Busch Interstate Batteries Toyota 266 22 1 82.2 $114,966 Running 1 16
24 25 5 Mark Martin GoDaddy.com Chevrolet 266 20 68.3 $77,075 Running
25 20 21 Trevor Bayne(i) Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford 266 0 62.5 $69,275 Running
26 39 13 Casey Mears Hard Rock Vodka Toyota 266 18 53.9 $68,525 Running
27 35 47 Bobby Labonte Reese Towpower Toyota 266 17 50.6 $95,170 Running
28 34 35 Dave Blaney Golden Corral Chevrolet 265 16 45.4 $65,125 Running
29 41 32 T J Bell GreenSmoke.com Ford 265 15 37.1 $76,933 Running
30 42 36 Geoffrey Bodine Luke & Associates Chevrolet 263 14 33.9 $75,747 Running
31 27 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet 261 14 1 57.8 $105,533 Running 1 2
32 9 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Chevrolet 261 13 1 82.2 $118,211 Running 1 2
33 38 34 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 245 12 1 36.9 $65,375 Running 1 1
34 4 22 Kurt Busch Shell Pennzoil Dodge 220 10 38.6 $108,450 Running
35 8 16 Greg Biffle 3M/Novec Ford 190 10 1 61.2 $81,675 Engine 1 2
36 22 51 Landon Cassill(i) Security Benefit/Thank A Teacher Today Chevrolet 153 0 50.0 $63,450 Accident
37 29 84 Cole Whitt(i) Kangaroo Express Toyota 153 0 40.3 $63,250 Accident
38 13 6 David Ragan UPS My Choice Ford 81 6 60.9 $71,050 Engine
39 18 9 Marcos Ambrose Stanley Ford 72 5 44.7 $92,841 Engine
40 37 87 Joe Nemechek(i) AM/FM Energy Pellet & Wood Stoves Toyota 29 0 33.5 $62,620 Vibration 1 3
41 30 55 J J Yeley Ingersoll Rand Ford 25 3 31.9 $62,405 Vibration
42 36 30 David Stremme Inception Racing Chevrolet 14 2 27.8 $62,110 Ignition
43 33 66 Michael McDowell HP Racing LLC Toyota 13 1 29.5 $62,429 Driveshaft

Race Comments: Before an estimated attendance of 73,000, Tony Stewart won the Ford 400, his 44th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory.

Failed to Qualify: (5) 46 Scott Speed(i), 7 Reed Sorenson(i), 37 Mike Skinner(i), 92 Scott Riggs(i), 93 Grant Enfinger(i).

Time of Race: 3 Hrs, 29 Mins, 00 Secs. Average Speed: 114.976 MPH Margin of Victory: 1.306 Seconds

Caution Flags: 8 for 54 laps: Laps: 14-21 (Precipitation [None]); 35-37 (#35 spin turn 4 [None]); 84-87 (Oil on track [13]); 109-116 (Precipitation [Red Flag: 1:14:06] [47]); 135-138 (#21 accident turn 4 [84]); 143-146 (#34, 48 accident turn 4 [36]); 155-160 (#1, 21, 51, 84 accident backstretch [35]); 214-230 (Precipitation [00]).

Lead Changes: 26 among 15 drivers: C. Edwards 1-14; T. Kvapil(i) 15-17; J. Nemechek(i) 18-20; C. Edwards 21-35; J. Montoya 36-37; B. Keselowski 38-47; C. Edwards 48-78; J. Gordon 79; M. Kenseth 80; J. Johnson 81-82; C. Edwards 83-112; G. Biffle 113-114; K. Harvick 115-116; J. Gordon 117-122; T. Stewart 123-135; D. Gilliland 136; K. Harvick 137-146; M. Truex Jr. 147-151; T. Stewart 152-156; J. Burton 157-160; M. Kenseth 161-174; C. Edwards 175-200; T. Stewart 201-211; C. Edwards 212-214; Kyle Busch 215-230; B. Keselowski 231; T. Stewart 232-267.