NASCAR Stars Meet The Media In Miami

By Joe Jennings
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Updated: November 17, 2011

Miami, Fla. – NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series title contenders gathered in Miami this week to meet with the media prior to this weekend’s Ford Championship Weekend at the nearby Homestead-Miami Speedway. The event was held Oceanside in Miami Beach with a large number of reporters in attendance.

Each year, the media event spotlights the Sprint Cup contenders and for the first time, the Nationwide and CWS front-runners were invited to the party, although the lion’s share of the attention went to Sprint Cup stars Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Elliott Sadler were the Nationwide guests and Austin Dillon, Johnny Sauter and James Buescher represented the CWS. Stenhouse has to finish 37th or better to become champion and Dillon leads Sauter by 20 points with Buescher holding down third place.

“It is a pretty cool opportunity for us this weekend,” said Stewart, who trails Edwards by just three points. “Winning a Winston Cup (2002), a Nextel Cup (2005) and possibly a Sprint Cup championship would be quite an accomplishment. And to become the first owner-driver to win it since Alan Kulwicki might be the best part of it.

“Ten races ago I didn’t think we would be here. We have had good race cars but we just didn’t have the consistency to run for the championship. But then we made the Chase and got off to a good start at Chicago and New Hampshire but then had our problems at Dover before rebounding at the next races.

“Three points isn’t a deficit to us. We control our own destiny and we have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain, which makes for a dangerous situation to be in.”

As usual, Edwards wasn’t rattled or concerned with Stewart’s positive outlook. “I am excited to be able to go out and try to win the championship. Homestead couldn’t be a better track for us. It is pretty fun to think about it and I am enjoying being part of it.”

With Jimmie Johnson having won five championships in a row, Edwards and Stewart are thrilled that someone else finally has a shot to win the coveted crown. “I have watched Jimmie (Johnson) celebrate for the last three years and wondered what it would feel like to win the championship,” Edwards stated.

Leading up to his previous crowns, Stewart held commanding leads but not so this time around. “My only concern is that I am not nervous about it,” he said. “We have nothing to lose and we are going to throw everything at it.”

Edwards is not conceding one point in the final event, and he knows his team has done everything possible to bring about a championship. “It is good that we are able to push each other, and this is as good as it gets.”

Asked whether the Chevrolet and Ford teams had devised a strategy to assist their driver toward the championship, Stewart and Edwards didn’t think so. “I wouldn’t want it to come down to that,” Edwards said. “I am going to be proud to be the driver that wins the championship.”

Stewart hoped others didn’t have an effect on the championship outcome but said his team has a counter-measure in mind should such a scenario develop. “But we are racing for a national championship and you want to win it straight up.”

Should the race and championship come down to the final lap, the two drivers would be thrilled to have it play out that way. “It would be cool if we could go into turn three racing side-by-side, battling through the final corner and one of us wins it by a bumper’s length,” Edwards said.

While the two drivers have shown a deep respect for each other, anything can happen with the championship on the line. Said Stewart about his desire to win the crown, “I’d wreck my mom to win a championship. I’ll wreck your mom to win a championship (smiling). I respect him as a driver, but this isn’t about friendships this weekend. This is a war. This is a battle. This is for a national championship. It’s no holds barred this weekend. I didn’t come this far to be one step away from it and let it slip away, so we’re going to go for it. They say there are talkers and doers. I’ve done this twice.”

Whatever scenario plays out, the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship will be decided by Sunday evening with one driver thrilled with the outcome and the other second-guessing his performance.