NASCAR's Stewart Clinches Gatorback Championship

HOMESTEAD, Fla., Nov. 16, 2005 -- The race season isn't over quite yet, but NASCAR Nextel Cup Series driver Tony Stewart has already clinched one championship.

Stewart has put enough distance between himself and the remainder of the field to capture the Goodyear Gatorback Fastest Lap Championship prior to this weekend's season-ending race at Homestead, Fla.

The Gatorback award, sponsored by Goodyear Engineered Products, goes each week to a driver posting the fastest lap while leading a Nextel Cup race. At the end of the season, the driver compiling the most fastest laps is declared the Gatorback champion for the season.

Stewart, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, will receive the 2005 Gatorback Fastest Lap solid crystal trophy, along with check for $75,000, at the season- ending NASCAR banquet at New York in December.

Stewart has dominated the Nextel Cup field by posting eight fastest laps this season. His closest challenge came from rival Greg Biffle, who has recorded five fastest laps. With one race to go, Stewart is out of reach of the competition.

"Tony is a fierce competitor who is having an outstanding season," said Todd Hechler, Goodyear marketing manager for automotive replacement products. "I also think he'd like to put an exclamation point on this championship, by winning it one more time."

"Goodyear Gatorback belts are put to the test weekly during Cup races," said Hechler, "and support our philosophy that we race, we learn, and our customers win. The performance data collected by Goodyear engineers at the track helps us continuously improve our products and strengthens our competitive advantage in the automotive aftermarket."

Gatorback Poly-V belts were introduced at the 2002 Daytona 500 on rookie Cup driver Jimmie Johnson's pole-sitting racecar. Today, every Nextel Cup car uses the same straight-off-the-shelf belts that race fans can purchase from auto parts stores and installers.

Goodyear has supplied belts to NASCAR for 24-years and is the exclusive NASCAR Performance licensee of automotive aftermarket belts and hose.