Stewart Leads NASCAR Driving Championship

HAMPTON, Ga. October 26, 2002;The Ap reported that Tony Stewart is winning two battles heading into the NAPA 500.

The fourth-year Winston Cup driver is leading the closest championship race in NASCAR history. He also insists he has control of his famous temper.

"I'm not unhappy anymore," said Stewart, who will start from the pole Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where he won in March. "I've found a way to do the things that I want to do, and just enough to keep everybody off our backs, and that gives me time to do what I need to do."

Stewart's angry outbursts have overshadowed his racing for the better part of the last two seasons. He finished 2001 on probation, and will do the same this year for punching a photographer following a disappointing race in August at Indianapolis.

That encounter cost him $60,000 in fines and prompted him to seek anger management counseling.

At least part of Stewart's problem has been the pressure of simply being a Winston Cup star -- constant media attention, smothering adulation from fans, personal appearances and other demands on his time. Stewart knows there are no easy remedies.

"I don't know if there is anything we've learned except to stay out of trouble," he said. "It seems like when we're not doing some kind of damage control over something stupid that I've done, then it makes the weekend a little more productive."

With some outside help, he has found a way to cope.

"I went home this week, and I'm probably better prepared this week than I've been the last two or three weeks," Stewart said. "I'm going to survive."

His main focus now is holding off rookie Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin, Rusty Wallace and Ryan Newman -- all within 177 points of the lead.

Johnson is the antithesis to Stewart.

At 27, four years younger than Stewart, Johnson appears comfortable with the media and the fans. He handles personal appearances and the rest of his hectic schedule with aplomb.

He drives a car owned by Jeff Gordon, and the four-time series champion won't be surprised if his protege becomes the first rookie to win the title.

"I'm going to give him all the advice I possibly can," Gordon said. "But I will say this: Tony is an extremely talented driver with a great team."

Joe Gibbs Racing won the title two years ago with Stewart's teammate, Bobby Labonte.

"I think they're going to be tough to beat," Gordon said. "I'm not saying my guy can't do it because I think he can. He's shocked me, and a lot of other people this year. Anything is possible."

Johnson is certainly feeling confident going into the 500-mile event on Atlanta's fast, 1.54-mile quad-oval. He finished third here in the spring, his first top-five.

"I feel I'm a better driver now," he said. "Our team is growing and we've grown together."

Last Sunday, in Martinsville, Va., Johnson finished sixth, and shaved 15 points from the lead of Stewart, who wound up 11th.

"I'm really hoping that we're able to utilize the experience we've gained all year long and bring it together and put up a strong fight Sunday," Johnson said. "We want to keep chipping away at the point lead that Tony has on us."

Sunday's race will also mark the return of Jamie McMurray, who pulled off a stunning upset two weeks ago at Lowe's Motor Speedway in only his second Winston Cup start.

McMurray, who missed the last race because of a Busch series commitment, is subbing for injured Sterling Marlin, who led in standings race for most of the season. McMurray will start fourth in the field determined by car-owner points after qualifying was rained out on Friday.

That gave Stewart the pole and Johnson the outside of the front row. Martin will start third, Wallace fifth and Newman sixth.

McMurray, still eligible to run for Rookie of the Year in 2003, set a record by winning so fast. But he's largely unaffected by that.

"You can't really gloat on all of that," he said. "That's what we're going to do this weekend, not let everybody build us up too much."