The war of words gives way

            HOMESTEAD, Fla. – What’s not to like about the NASCAR championship battle between Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart?

            What was hard on the eve of Homestead-Miami Speedway’s Ford 400 was finding something else to say. Edwards and Stewart have battled for most of the Chase for the Sprint Cup’s 10-week run. The pattern of the first nine races has been one of Edwards stubbornly hanging on in the face of Stewart’s relentless pursuit. He has led after the past six races, by as many as 14 points and as few as one. Kevin Harvick, now out of contention, led after the first and third races, Stewart after the second.

            Other than that, it’s been all Edwards, if only barely.

            “To be racing these guys (Stewart’s team) at their peak, for us I can say completely truthfully this is the best Chase we’ve ever had,” Edwards said. “We haven’t gone out and gotten the trophies we have in other Chases, but we’ve performed better than ever. If they beat us, they are beating us at our best, and that is pretty neat.”

            These two drivers, both Midwesterners, share little else. Stewart, from Columbus, Ind., is 40, a bachelor and bidding for his third championship. Edwards, from Columbia, Mo., is 32, a father and seeking his first. Stewart has won four races, all in the Chase. Edwards has won only once, way back on March 6.

            In some ways, both are playing against type. After all, Stewart is not only the only driver with championships under the Chase format (2005) and before (2002). He’s the only driver to win a championship without winning any of the Chase races (2005). He also won three Chase races (2006) when he wasn’t among the drivers eligible for the title.

            Edwards, who has one victory this year, finished second to Jimmie Johnson in 2008, though he won nine races that season to Johnson’s seven.

            The two drivers’ comments mirror their performances. Stewart has been on the attack, repeatedly saying that he has nothing to lose because losing has no attraction, given his previous titles.

“Three points really isn't a deficit at this point,” he said. “We go out and win the race, it doesn't matter what they do on their side, we still control our own destiny.”

Stewart’s definition of “control our own destiny” clearly translated to “win the championship.”

“The only part of it that worries me and that I’ve been concerned about is that I haven’t been worried about it,” he said.

A year ago, when Denny Hamlin entered the final race with a 13-point edge, he seemed nervous. Whether that anything to do with it or not, he lost to Johnson, who won the championship for the fifth consecutive year. It seemed almost predictable in hindsight: a triumph by a veteran over an upstart.

Edwards hasn’t won a championship, but this is the third Chase in which he has played a prominent role. He seems as if he belongs. Though he hasn’t won anywhere lately, he has won this race two of the past three years. He seemed to be gaining confidence as the all-important race approached.

When they shared the same podium, Edwards addressed these remarks, in part, to Stewart:”I have listened to you a lot, and you talk a lot about your past successes. That is very respectable and truly, all joking aside, that will make it more fun if we are able to beat you. It will make me more proud. This is going to be a good competition. Don’t think for a second that either one of us is going to let anything slide. We’re going to go out here and race hard and we are going for this championship.

“I don’t think you could find two harder racers than us up here, and we both know that about each other.”

            In the words of an ex-champion, Edwards’ teammate Matt Kenseth, “It will be fun to watch. Tony has won races and is charging hard, but this is one of Carl’s best places and he is definitely capable of winning here.”

Monte Dutton; 704-869-1841; twitter.com/montedutton