Stewart Creeping Ever Close To That Owner / Driver Win

Sept. 27, 1998.

Yep.  That's the last time a driver-owner won an event in a Cup Series race and it was Ricky Rudd at Martinsville Speedway.

yet after just 8 races in his new team, Tony Stewart in the No. 14 Old Spice Chevrolet would seem to be creeping ever closer to that first victory.  As it stands, Tony heads to the wreck fest potential, Sunday's Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway, 4th in the series points.

Talladega is one of NASCAR's fastest tracks, the 2.66-mile Talladega tri-oval. Ironically enough, it is also where Stewart's last previous NASCAR Sprint Cup win occurred.

At the moment, he's starting to be compared to Alan Kulwicki in his slow, methodical approach to that front points spot and NBaP is impressed.  Which means, for the first time since Alan Kulwicki's magical march to the series title in 1992, the words "driver-owner" and "championship" are compatible when used in the same sentence.

"This is the best start to the season that I've ever had in my career," Stewart said. "The last three weeks have just been amazing. I mean, it's been so much fun. We've been in contention. We've led laps. We're doing everything right. It's just a matter of time.

"We are consistent now and that's the way you've got to be. We're just clicking them off one at a time here. I don't think any of us would have predicted we would be in the top five in points."