"As much as we all loved the sport, we were losing the passion behind why we love it so much. We needed to get that back and luckily winning the championship did that for us."
Gordon was the last to repeat...
Gordon was the last to repeat as champion, in 1997 and 1998.
As an NFL coach for several years and as a Winston Cup team owner, Gibbs has dealt with every temperament and situation imaginable in sports--and he's provided a steady, guiding hand for Stewart in good times and bad--but Gibbs has noticed a dramatic change in his driver. "We've had a lot of things happen to the car this year and he doesn't seem to get nearly as uptight and rattled by it," Gibbs says. "He's much more relaxed."
No Repeat Title
Stewart's inability to repeat as champion is part of a pattern in the sport. He's the fourth consecutive champion who has failed to repeat. Since Jeff Gordon's back-to-back championships in 1997 and 1998, the last four champions--Dale Jarrett, Labonte, Gordon, and Stewart--have faced the same dilemma. That points to the parity in the sport, which is fueled by the most intensively competitive period in Winston Cup history.
It's tougher than ever to win a Winston Cup title, and repeating as champion has become next to impossible. Significantly, three of the last four to win the title were first-time champions.
"When you win the first one, it's so overwhelming and there's a lot to sink in," says Gordon, a four-time champion. "A lot of times you won't see guys win back to back after they've won their first one. I didn't win back to back after my first one. I won back to back after my second one and I think that was because I knew what to expect. I knew how the schedule was going to go. I knew how to say yes to things and how to say no to things.
Stewart has learned to cope...
Stewart has learned to cope better with disappointment.
"When you're a first-time champion, a lot of times you don't say no to anything. You're like, 'Man, I'm Winston Cup champion and I want to do all the things and be the best Winston Cup champion I can be.' Then all of a sudden, you find yourself going, 'Wow, this is a lot of stuff and this is really wearing me down.'"
Stewart downplays the notion that winning the championship has actually taken focus away from this season. In typical fashion, he even places blame on the media for overstating the impact a title has on a champion's personal life.
"I've looked at myself as one of the 43 guys that starts the race every Sunday," says Stewart. "I think (representing the sport as champion) was built up too much to be honest. I'm not going to say it's disappointing, because it's actually been very pleasant for life to go on as usual-- contrary to the belief of some of the media members. I've enjoyed it. There has not been anything unpleasant about it by any means. There have not been any added demands like everybody speculated. It's just been business as usual for us."
Zipadelli concedes that there are minor distractions that come with being the championship team, but says the chase itself may be the toughest element in winning a title.