Three Points, Two Men, One Championship Race

Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart will head into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup finale this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway with only three points separating the two.

“We couldn’t ask for a better Championship scenario at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend — a one-race winner takes all shootout,” said track president Matthew Becherer. “This is going to be a battle all the way to the end on Sunday and everyone that I talk to is choosing sides.  I think the atmosphere is going to be electric.”

Edwards, who now has had sole possession of the championship lead for the past six races, finished second, one position ahead of Stewart at Phoenix. The points margin remained unchanged after Stewart led the most laps for the third time in the last four races, with 160.

“Every point counts right now,” Stewart said. “That’s why we raced Carl (Edwards) so hard and Kasey (Kahne) so hard. We led enough laps to lead the most laps today so we’re going for every single point we can get right now.”

All other drivers were eliminated from championship contention following Phoenix setting up a storied battle between Edwards and Stewart this Sunday in the Ford 400. The three point margin between first and second going into the final race is the closest since the inception of the Chase in 2004.

“Couldn’t ask for any more,” said Edwards, who led 27 laps at Phoenix. “It’s neat to go to Homestead and race it out. I’m sure these guys are going to be good down there. They’re fast on the mile and a half’s. I love that place.”

Edwards has no wins in the Chase, but now heads to one of his best tracks where he’s the defending Ford 400 winner.

“I really enjoy racing there,” Edwards said about Homestead-Miami. “The cool thing about Homestead, we’re going to go there, you’re going to be able to move around, pass, not get hung up as badly in traffic as you can at other racetracks. For the sport in general, I don’t think there’s a better place to go than Homestead to fight for this championship.”

Although he has not visited Victory Lane since March at Las Vegas, Edwards has finished outside the Top 10 only once (11th at Talladega last month) since late August. His average finish in nine races in the Chase is 5.2.

Stewart, who is shooting for his third Cup Series title, continued his tear in the Chase with his fifth consecutive Top 10, which includes two of his four wins in the Chase.

“We’ll just keep doing what we’re doing,” Stewart said. “We have a third and two wins in the last three races so we’re going to keep the pressure on him (Carl Edwards) and we’ll make him sweat it out.”

If the championship winds up in a tie at the checkered flag in Sunday’s Ford 400, Stewart will take the championship based on wins.

Only one finish guarantees Carl Edwards his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship – a victory in Sunday’s season-finale Ford 400. Just three points separate points leader Carl Edwards and second-place Tony Stewart, a margin so tight, no other finish would clinch the title for Edwards regardless of where Stewart finishes. Stewart owns the tie-breaker (best finishes), and therefore could tie and win his third series championship. Tickets for this year’s Ford Championship Weekend—Nov. 18-20 at Homestead-Miami Speedway—are on sale NOW. For ticket information, visit HomesteadMiamiSpeedway.com or call (866) 409-RACE.

Edwards’ three-point lead roughly translates to 13 points under the previous points system. That makes it the closest margin between first and second going into the final race in Chase For The NASCAR Sprint Cup history, and third-closest since the inception of the position-based points structure in 1975.

Last year, Homestead-Miami Speedway served as host to a one-race shootout to decide what was the closest Sprint Cup Championship Chase in NASCAR history. Denny Hamlin entered Ford Championship Weekend with a 15-point lead over four-time reigning Champion Johnson and just a 46-point margin over Kevin Harvick.

It all ends here. This year, Homestead-Miami Speedway will crown NASCAR’s Champions for the 10th consecutive year during Ford Championship weekend.

How the Championship Contenders have done at Homestead-Miami Speedway:

Stewart: In 12 starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Stewart has two wins (1999, 2000) along with three Top 5 and six Top 10 finishes. He has 0 DNF (did not finish) results and has led 385 of 3209 laps. His average starting position is 14.4 with a finishing position of 12.4.

Edwards: In seven starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Edwards has two wins (2008, 2010) along with four Top 5 and six Top 10 finishes. He has 0 DNF (did not finish) results and has led 385 of 3209 laps. His average starting position is 13.4 with a finishing position of 5.7.

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