NASCAR Cup Series

Get ready for a real title fight

Published Nov. 1, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

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It’s no more Mr. Nice Guy and, frankly, Tony Stewart’s smirk-and-clash re-emergence as a real contender in the NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup is better than anything NASCAR might have contrived to keep the spotlight on a close and contentious championship battle.

Points leader Carl Edwards’ efforts to fend off a feisty Stewart has the potential to give us the best White Hat against Black Hat feud the Chase has seen in years.

It’s starched-collar Edwards vs. blue-collar Stewart; a sound bite-ready driver vs. a politically incorrect one. Ford vs. Chevy. Polished and poised vs. true grit.

And as you might imagine, NASCAR’s premier promoter, Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage, is champing at the bit as the series heads to his famed track this week.

Sunday night, within hours of Stewart’s Victory Lane taunt of Edwards — “He better be worried ... he’s not going to have an easy three weeks” — Gossage had already put together a full-color promotional campaign fueling the rivalry and pushing the storyline.

He’s even invited legendary boxing promoter Don King to be trackside for this weekend’s AAA Texas 500 — just in case.

“Carl leading Tony by only eight points is good, but then they started talking and that’s the gold,” Gossage said. “Neither is pulling their punches. Tony’s talking about a boxing ring, and Carl’s not backing down.

“It’s two current-day giants in the sport standing toe-to-toe in the middle of the ring. It’s two guys that don’t mind talking it up because they’re both supremely confident they can back it up. It’s all the ingredients for a perfect promotion.”

And the kind of championship battle that will demand attention.

Jimmie Johnson’s five-year reign was a historic masterpiece worth watching, but the re-emergence of Stewart (who is the last driver to have won a title before Johnson’s current run) — NASCAR’s “everyman” — gives the sport a dose of adrenaline down the stretch.

Last year’s title run with Johnson, Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick was close, but there wasn’t any real drama or emotion until the press conference for the season finale at Homestead, when they finally started trading some trash talk.

Edwards and Stewart give NASCAR a three-race jump on that.

Edwards has led the standings more than any driver this season, but is winless. Stewart was 0-fer in the regular season but has won three of the seven Chase races so far.

Edwards is vying for his first Cup title. Stewart is after his third, but first as an owner-driver. Even though they share intense personal motivations, their styles couldn’t be more different on or off the track.

The always camera-ready Edwards is adored by the racing media because of his thoughtful answers and candor. The anything-but-another-interview Stewart, meanwhile, will go toe-to-toe with reporters, just as he’ll go bumper-to-bumper with his competitors.

Stewart shoots from the hip. Edwards dissects with a smile and a wink.

“When I sat in here (the pressroom) on Friday, I told you guys I thought he was one of the guys that could win this race and be a guy that you’d have to beat for the championship,” Edwards said after his ninth-place finish Sunday at Martinsville, Va.

“I think he’s proven that. He’s proving it right now.

“But, yeah, we’ll have fun. We’ll go race hard. They’re going to have to race us, too. I’m excited about the next three weeks.”

As are NASCAR and its fans, who are more than ready for the “Hell yeah, I’m gonna win it” championship battle the passionate Stewart and driven Edwards can deliver.

“My adrenaline has worn off, and he (Edwards) better not sleep too long the next three weeks,” Stewart told reporters Sunday evening.

“It’s no disrespect to him. He’s a great competitor, he’s a great guy, he’s with a great organization that deserves their shot at that championship, too.

“We’ve had one of those up-and-down years, and we’re having a run in this Chase now, where we’re hungry. We’re hungry for this.

“I feel like our mindset into these next three weeks, we’ve been nice all year to a lot of guys, given guys a lot of breaks.

“We’re cashing tickets in these next three weeks.”

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