Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images
What is there to say that hasn't already been said about Tony Stewart and his 2011 run for NASCAR's Sprint Cup? There aren't any words that can properly put in perspective Stewart and his Office Depot/Mobile 1 Chevrolet team. Amazing falls short. Astonishing is the very least that can be said about it.
Stewart did not looks like a contender to even make the Chase for much of the season. In fact, it looked like Stewart was going to have the worst season of his NASCAR Sprint Cup career and go without a win in 2011. Not that he and his Stewart-Haas team didn't have their chances. Stewart was dominant in the Kobalt Tools 400 at Las Vegas but a late race miscue by his pit crew took him out of the lead. Even so, Stewart fought back to finish second in the event. Stewart's other best chance at winning came in the Lenox Industrial Tools 301, but he was outbid by his teammate and employee, Ryan Newman. A last lap mistake at Watkins Glen and a bad night at Bristol put Stewart on the teetering point of making the Chase For The Sprint Cup but fortunately the 14 car came through with a third at Atlanta and a seventh at Richmond to solidify their place in the Chase.
Once the Chase started, Stewart and his team were on their game with victories at Chicagoland and New Hampshire. A 25th place run at Dover and a 15th at Kansas looked to set Stewart back from winning the 2011 title. However, Stewart went on a tear in the final six races starting off with an eighth at Charlotte and seventh at Talladega. Stewart beat out Jimmie Johnson to win a thrilling event at Martinsville then went to Texas and won again. Stewart finished a solid third in the Kobalt Tools 500 on the newly reconfigured Phoenix mile. The final event in Homestead was as thrilling an event as any in NASCAR history. Stewart ended up beating his title rival, Carl Edwards for the race victory. While Stewart and Edwards were tied in the standings, Stewart won the tiebreaker thanks to the five victories in the Chase compared to Edwards lone victory occurring early in the year.
Stewart was penalized four times by NASCAR in 2011, twice for speeding in the pits, once for a commitment line violation and another for passing on a restart. His pit crew only had one penalty for equipment out of their pit box. Of note was that Stewart was not penalized all year long for entering the pits before they were open. This serves as evidence that while Stewart was up and down all year long prior to the Chase, he was able to avoid getting involved in wrecks. That would cost him valuable track position along with points.
2011 Statistics For Tony Stewart
Sprint Cup Champion
5 wins (Geico 400, Sylvania 300, Tums Fast Relief 500, AAA Texas 500, Ford 400)
9 top 5s
19 top 10s
913 laps led
2011 Penalty Report For Tony Stewart
Race 3 - Removing equipment from assigned pit area, stop and go/tail end
Race 6 - Passing on a start or restart, Pass Thru
Race 7 - Speed-Entering pits, pass thru
Race 11 - Speed-Exiting pits, tail end
Race 20 - Commitment Line Violation, pass thru