Racebeat
by Rich Romer

NASCAR Winston Cup: NASCAR's bad boy finally made good. Tony Stewart won the Winston Cup championship with an 18th-place finish in the Ford 400. It wasn't the way the intense, combative 31-year-old wanted to win his first stock car title, but he got the job done. Kurt Busch, the hottest driver in the series, won the race for his third victory in the last five events. Stewart came into the race knowing he needed only to finish 22nd or better to beat Mark Martin in their championship duel. Martin gave it a game try, finishing fourth but coming up 38 points short. Stewart, who has undergone anger management sessions for his fiery temper that has led to fines and probation, then hugged his crew chief, Greg Zipadelli. Joe Gibbs, the former coach of the Washington Redskins, added Stewart's championship to the one earned by Stewart's teammate, Bobby Labonte, in 2000. Martin said he would need a miracle to catch Stewart, who came into the race leading by 89 points.

He didn't get it. Martin was docked 25 points after NASCAR discovered an unapproved spring on his Roush Racing Ford on Nov. 3 in Rockingham, N.C., or the final difference would have been even closer. An appeal of the penalty was turned down Saturday. His car owner, Jack Roush, said Gibbs' team "had the best program all year and they deserve the championship.'' Stewart, who had won two of three previous races on the 1 1/2-mile oval, started sixth but never contended in this one, driving a conservative race that saw him fall a lap down on lap 192 of the 267-lap event. The champ hung in and got the lap back in the late going, moving onto the tail of the lead lap by passing then-leader Dale Jarrett on lap 205. He was able to stay ahead of the lead pack and, with the help of a yellow flag on lap 227, remained on the lead lap to the end. Stewart, NASCAR's rookie of the year in 1999, last won a championship in 1997 in the Indy Racing League. Busch, who started from the pole, finished the season on a roll, charging from 12th to third in the points over the last eight races. The 24-year-old driver, completing his second season, finished 159 points behind Stewart. Rookie Ryan Newman gambled and stayed on track during a caution period late in the race as all the other leaders pitted. Busch came out fourth, also trailing rookie Jimmie Johnson and four-time series champion Jeff Gordon. Busch made it to second place before John Andretti's blown engine brought out the last caution on lap 237.

He put continuous pressure on Newman after the green flag waved on lap 245, finally taking the lead on lap 257 and pulling away to the fourth win of his career, all this season. Joe Nemechek finished second, followed by Jeff Burton, Martin, Gordon, Newman, Bill Elliott and Johnson.