More on Stewart
No doubt about it: Tony Stewart drove Sunday's Cup race like he knew he was going to win. He ran hard all day, led nearly 60 percent of the laps and, at the end, played with Jimmie Johnson like Stewart was the cat and Johnson was the stuffed mouse at the end of the string. Here, kitty kitty kitty indeed.
But that got me thinking: Is Tony Stewart better this year than he was last season?
After the June race at Pocono last season, Stewart was 10th in the points, 380 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson, and was one race away from going 400 down and out of the chase. Kurt Busch, Jamie McMurray and Jeremy Mayfield were within 23 points, so his spot in the top 10 was in jeopardy. He was struggling, no doubt. All of a sudden, the 20 team hit on something at Michigan, the next race, and ripped off a string of 13 straight top 10 finishes.
His first six races of 2005, however, were not too different than his performance so far this season.
Here's 2005:
3 top 10s in six races
Best finish: 3rd at Bristol
Worst finish: 26th at Martinsville
Fifth in standings, 203 back of the leader (Johnson)
And 2006:
3 top 10s in six races
Best finish: Won Sunday at Martinsville
Worst finish: Last at California
Eighth in standings, 142 back of the leader (Johnson)
But the numbers don't tell you the whole story. Stewart blew an engine after 214 laps - and finished last. Almost never do you see the entire field make nearly 430 miles of a 500-mile race.
Let's say Stewart finishes 21st at California, the same spot he finished at Vegas. That's about 60 more points - and that moves Stewart into fourth in the standings. If Stewart had been 10th, he picks up 95 points - and he's second in the standings, about 45 behind Johnson.
You can play the same math game with anyone in the standings. But all of that adding and subtracting suggests that, well, Stewart's making a pretty strong case early for his third Cup championship.
You see anyone out there driving better?
Comments (2)
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so you are alive
Posted on April 3, 2006 4:59 PM
Stewart's got the team that's been together for the longest among the drivers that matter. He's gonna be awesome this year and will be a contender for the title.
He's challenged and beat Jeff G. at all the courses Jeff used to dominate, I'm especially referring to the road courses and now Martinsville.
I don't like the guy but gotta give him credit, he's got the whole package.
Posted on April 5, 2006 4:03 PM