Smoke rises just in time

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Tony Stewart went to Atlanta Motor Speedway mired in a 31-race winless streak and an afterthought, at best, on the list of championship contenders.

By the time he left the track early Monday morning he may very well have become the front-runner for the Sprint Cup Series title.

The streakiest driver in NASCAR knocked down his first win of the season late Sunday night with a dominating performance at Atlanta, and based on Stewart’s own track record, he’s got to be considered a credible contender. When Smoke gets hot – and he usually does every summer – he is very, very hard to beat.

He won three times in a nine-race span last season to move to the top of the points standings, won three of four in the middle of the 2007 season, and three of six in 2006 when he failed to make the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.

Now Stewart rolls into Richmond International Raceway, site of Saturday night’s “regular season finale,” with nothing to lose. He can gamble and race hard for a win, and with it 10 more critical bonus points, and take a ton of momentum into the Sept. 19 Chase opener at New Hampshire.

It’s a far different situation than last season, when Stewart built a monstrous lead in the points standings but cooled off considerably around the start of the Chase. He had four-straight finishes outside the top-10 heading into the Chase, and opened the 10-race title deciding format with a disappointing 14th-place finish.

“At this stage last year, we were pointing downhill,” Stewart said, “and now we’re pointing uphill.”

That’s a good thing for NASCAR, which needs Stewart to be competitive to keep interest piqued.

He’s no Dale Earnhardt Jr. in terms of fan popularity, and his star isn’t as bright as four-time champions Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon. But with his super-sized personality – and temper – he keeps things interesting and is one of the few drivers who can legitimately mix it up at every race track on the circuit.

Sunday’s top 5

1. Tony Stewart