Stewart: Season a success

AVONDALE, Ariz. – Tony Stewart’s team won’t win the Sprint Cup championship this season, and his bid to join the late Alan Kulwicki in the NASCAR record books will have to wait at least another year.

That won’t change how he views his first season as owner of his own race team.

“I think it’s hard to be disappointed, no matter where we end up,” Stewart said Saturday at Phoenix International Raceway.

Stewart-Haas Racing stormed out of the gates this season and had solidified itself as a championship contender by May. As Stewart built a lead of
179 points through the first 26 races, he seemed poised to become the first owner/driver since Kulwicki in 1992 to win the championship.

As an added bonus, teammate Ryan Newman also claimed one of the 12 berths in the Chase field.

But neither contended for the title. Stewart, who started the Chase seeded second, is currently fifth in the standings with two races remaining. Newman is ninth.

Regardless of where they stand after next weekend’s finale at Homestead, Stewart will be pleased.

“Just by getting two cars in the Chase and winning the races we’ve won this year exceeded more than what any of you guys could have anticipated, and we could have anticipated,” Stewart said. “We knew on paper that it was possible, but the reality of it was competing against great race teams every week.

“So to be able to accomplish this goal has been an awesome year for us.”

Edwards wins Nationwide race: Carl Edwards rolled to a dominating win at Phoenix International Speedway that temporarily staved off Kyle Busch’s bid to clinch the Nationwide Series title.

Busch’s first NASCAR championship still is a near-certainty – he’s up 190 points on Edwards and needs only to start next week’s race at Homestead-Miami Speedway to grab the title.

But early problems Saturday spoiled Busch’s bid to get it out of the way. He spun his Toyota eight laps into the race, suffered heavy damage when he hit the wall, and had to battle to a ninth-place finish.