In 2011, Tony Stewart fought his way through one of the most incredible championship finales the sport has ever seen. For the first time in NASCAR history, Stewart and Carl Edwards ended the 36-race season tied on points, with a tie-breaker needed to decide the champion.
Now 14 years ago, Stewart entered the championship finale as an underdog, while Edwards had been the season’s top performer. What followed was a dramatic run to the finish that solidified Stewart’s legacy as one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history.
A Championship Duel for the Ages Between Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards
As the season neared its end in 2011, Edwards had the highest number of points after the 36 races and playoffs, and with only the final race left, the championship seemed almost certain. However, no one could have predicted Stewart’s win in the season-ending race. The victory ensured that the two drivers tied at 2,403 points earned, pushing the decision to determine a champion to a tie-breaker.
The tie-breaker was a much more straightforward decision. Along with his season-ending victory, Stewart secured five wins during the 2011 season, while Edwards had only managed one early in the year at Las Vegas. Despite Edwards leading the points standings for much of the regular season, the championship outcome came down to Stewart’s five wins compared to Edwards’ single victory.
Stewart said, “If someone said (before the Chase) we were going to win a race or five races, I would have lost every bet. We were like the Bad News Bears. We were the team no one thought we had a shot at the beginning. We battled adversity and just kept fighting.”
Expressing his disbelief, Edwards had said, “It’s so unbelievable. It was like a movie. We did the best we could and were one point shy. That’s just how it is. It’s neat to be a part of something like this, but it’s not neat to lose.”
In another first in NASCAR history, instead of a driver moving on to a better team after a championship win, the winning crew chief, Darian Grubb, was fired. Despite his team’s victory, Grubb, like Edwards, lost too. The evidence was clear as the winning team stepped onto the podium in the Homestead-Miami Speedway media center, with some of the most dejected faces ever seen on any championship winners.