Stewart joins a select list of racers who've won three or more Cup titles: Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, seven each; Johnson, five; Jeff Gordon, four; Stewart, Lee Petty, David Pearson, Cale Yarborough and Darrell Waltrip, three each.
"I'm very flattered and very honored to just be part of that list," Stewart said yesterday on a conference call. "Those guys are all icons in this sport. I feel like it's an episode of 'Sesame Street' when you read that list: Which guy doesn't belong?"
Referring to his duels with Edwards over the last few Chase races, Stewart said: "It was one of the best battles in the history of the sport. The top two literally fought it out. Hopefully, no matter who [won], it is the shot in the arm the sport needs now."
The TV rating for the Homestead race indicates viewers were eager to see a new champion crowned. The 4.6 rating was the highest ever for a Cup race on ESPN. According to the Nielsen Co., 10.5 million watched the end of the race.
After winning the first two Chases races - at Chicago on Sept. 19 and at New Hampshire on Sept. 25 - for his first victories of the year, Stewart sank to seventh in points two races later.
"I still felt we still had the opportunity to maybe salvage a top-five [finish in the Chase]," Stewart said. "The turning point was when we won at Martinsville [on Oct. 30]. We felt then we were contenders."
After Martinsville, Stewart was second in points with three races to go.
Stewart, 40, can be moody and sometimes volatile, but throughout the Chase homestretch, he was relaxed, confident and funny.
