Stewart caps second championship with steady final run

NASCAR driver Tony Stewart battles to keep his lead in the NEXTEL cup series during the Ford 400 championship race in Homestead, Fla. Sunday. (AP Photo/David Graham) HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Tony Stewart has two championships and a spot in NASCAR history. Both pale in comparison to what he treasures most: Earning the respect of his team and colleagues.

‘‘It’s nice that they don’t have to talk about my behavior anymore,’’ Stewart said. ‘‘That’s the biggest honor you can have, for the guys you race with to give you that kind of compliment.’’

Smooth and steady for an entire race. An entire season. An entire championship run.

That’s the formula Stewart used to win his second NASCAR championship in four years Sunday, capping an uncharacteristically calm season for the former Bad Boy. He won races, kept his temper in check and avoided every major incident long enough to cement himself as one of the greatest drivers of his time.

Needing only to run clean at Homestead-Miami Speedway, he hovered just outside the top 10 and away from any potential danger. Stewart ended up 15th, winning the title by 35 points over Greg Biffle, who won the Ford 400 for the second straight year by besting teammate Mark Martin in a door-to-door finish.

Stewart became just the 14th driver in NASCAR history with more than one championship and joined four-time winner Jeff Gordon as the only active full-time drivers with multiple titles.

‘‘I don’t believe the trophy makes the man,’’ said Mark Martin. ‘‘Tony Stewart, in my eyes, is the greatest race car driver I’ve watched drive in this era. A.J. Foyt might have been that when I was a little boy, but Tony Stewart is my driving hero.’’

But it was not his spot among the elite that earned Stewart praise from his fellow drivers. It was the attitude adjustment that helped him get there.

‘‘Either the therapy is working or he’s learned through experience,’’ Gordon said. ‘‘He finally started to get the fact that this is a sport that has media involved, fans involved, sponsors involved and it’s great that we get the privilege to go out there and drive these race cars ... but sometimes you forget about the big picture and I think it took Tony a little while.

‘‘He gets it now and it’s showing in his personality.’’

For Stewart, it was the perfect finale to what’s been a perfect season both on and off the track.

So he’ll treasure this title, a gift to the team that stuck with him through thick and thin.