NASCAR Championship Notes-n-Nuggets

" Tony Stewart Won his third Cup Series championship in 464 starts. He won the 2002 and 2005 Cup championships.
" Tony Stewart is the only driver to win a Cup championship in the pre-chase format (2002) and the Chase format (2005,2011).
" Tony Stewart has been in the Chase's seven of eight seasons, all but 2006 when he missed the Chase by 16 points.
" Tony Stewart is the ninth driver to win three or more championships in the 63 Cup Series seasons.
" Tony Stewart is the first driver to enter the Chase winless in the regular season to win the championship.
" This is the first time 1-2 in points have been tied at the end of the season.
" Tony Stewart made his first Cup start at Daytona in Feb. 1999 and has started every race since.
" Tony Stewart has at least one Cup victory in each of his 13 seasons — the longest active streak.
" Tony Stewart is the eighth driver to win Cup Series championships for more than one organization and the first since Terry Labonte in 1996.
" Tony Stewart is the first owner/driver to win a championship since Alan Kulwicki in 1992.
" Tony Stewart is the seventh driver to win the championship and the season finale.
" This is the first-time the champion and second in points finished 1-2 in the season finale.
" Tony Stewart's nine top-fives are the fewest top-five finishes by a champion since Bill Rexford had five in the 1950 season with only 17 starts.
" This is the 28th Cup Series title for a Chevrolet driver including the past seven.
" Tony Stewart is 40 years old (May 20, 1971) from Columbus Ind. He is the oldest champion in the Chase era.
" Crew Chief Darian Grubb earned his first Cup Series championship. He has been a Cup crew chief for 148 races.