Smoking the Competition: Tony Stewart Wins AAA Texas 500, Carl Edwards Finishes Second

| Written by: Rob Tiongson @ The Podium Finish

230

307dec02789f554e3ebf277ef5be3af0-getty-131665050

There's a reason why people take notice of Tony Stewart's words - he often backs it up not just with his mouth, but with his foot that drops the hammer for the win.

In what has become a remarkable story in this season's Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship, stock car racing's most prestigious prize might become a two man race, especially after Stewart's dominant victory during Sunday's AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway over points leader Carl Edwards.

After playfully warning Edwards last weekend at Martinsville, who placed second in the final rundown, "to be worried," maybe he wasn't kidding after all.

Week after week, Stewart keeps on beating the best of the sport - and with style.

Last Sunday, he crossed the line first after passing and defeating five-time defending Cup champ Jimmie Johnson at Martinsville.

This time, he outdueled and outgunned the best of the series, including points leader Edwards.

Make no mistake with Stewart, as he's prime to win his third Cup title and his first under the Chase format.

"I’m pretty sure what we did on the race track said everything we needed to tell him today. I don’t know how you top that," Stewart said per AP Sports Writer Stephen Hawkings' article, republished on Yahoo! Sports. "The funny thing, I don’t feel like I have to say anything. I feel like I’ve already got it done."

Still, there are two races remaining on the schedule and that's still plenty of time for Edwards to make noise and still have enough to win the championship.

"At the end of the day, we can walk out of here with our heads up. We’re still the points leader," Edwards said. "It’s going to be a great battle."

Both drivers have stellar track records at the last two venues of the Cup schedule, as they're past winners at Phoenix and Homestead-Miami.

Perhaps the only wild card factor with their championship quests is next Sunday's race at Phoenix International Raceway, which underwent a major refit following its spring racee earlier this year.

Virtually a new track in Avondale, AZ, competitors will have very little information to utilize, other than their test sessions there last month.

Simply put, it's going to be a two round special between a pair of heavyweights who've got a lot riding on their shoulders by winning this year's crown.

It'd be the first time that Jimmie Johnson would not be crowned the champion since 2005 when Stewart took home the title.

The remainder of the Chase field had somewhat mixed days at Texas, with Matt Kensth placing fourth, Jeff Gordon in sixth, Dale Earnhardt Jr. with an eighth, and Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, and Ryan Newman coming home 14th-16th.

Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, and Kurt Busch all had somewhat forgettable performances, finishing 20th, 24th, and 30th respectively.

Prior to the domination by Stewart, the biggest story of the race weekend was Kyle Busch's incident in the Camping World Truck Series race on Friday night at Texas.

Busch intentionally wrecked title contender Ron Hornaday Jr. as an act of retaliation for green-flag racing contact that put them both in the wall in turn two.

Taking matters into his own hand, NASCAR immediately parked Busch after his act of vegeance not only for the remainder of the Truck race, but for the Nationwide and Cup races.

Virtually eliminated from the Cup title race, Busch's status for this weekend's races remains unknown as of press time.

Here's a look at the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Standings after 34 races: