Owner...Driver...Winner: Tony Stewart Beat the Odds

Throughout the entire season, everyone could tell that Stewart-Haas Racing would break through and get that first win.  Every driver, team, and fan watched and waited for that moment that the No. 14 or No. 39 would cross the finish line in victory.

On Sunday, with just enough fuel to take the checkered flag, Tony Stewart stopped all the waiting by winning the Pocono 500.  Without a doubt, with that victory, it puts Stewart-Haas Racing as one of the elite teams in the 2009 season.  To think that this organization would have come this far in such a short period of time is unbelievable.

When Stewart announced that he was departing from Joe Gibbs Racing at the end of the 2008 season to become an owner-driver, it did not come as much of a surprise as one would expect.  At the beginning of the season, when Gibbs announced his team was switching to Toyota, it did not seem to sit well with Stewart.

Throughout his career, Stewart was loyal to the General Motors company, and him being at the wheel of a foreign manufacturer was something that he just did not feel comfortable with.

Then, when the announcement came that Stewart would take part ownership in Haas-CNC, it was the beginning of a rebuilding process for a team that was under performing and underfunded.

First, Stewart brought the Office Depot, who's contract with Roush-Fenway Racing was ending at the conclusion of the season, and Old Spice to sponsor his own car.  Then, Stewart hired fellow Indiana driver Ryan Newman to field the other car and brought in the U.S. Army to sponsor the team.

Hiring crew chief Darian Grubb from Hendrick Motorsports brought in great knowledge and backing, because Stewart-Haas Racing would then use Hendrick chassis and engines, putting them in the best equipment available in NASCAR.

When the season started, fans and teams knew that Stewart had built a major contender for wins and a championship, but the question of whether they would struggle their first season out loomed large.

After 14 races, that question has been answered to the fullest.  Combined, Stewart and Newman have recorded 12 top-fives, 18 top-10's, one pole, and as of Sunday, one victory. Plus, Stewart recorded a victory in the Sprint All-Star Race at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

It is no longer a question of will they win races; now it's a question of how many races they can win by season's end.  Plus, the new question is can this organization in their first year of operation win the title?

Stewart currently leads the points race by 71 over Jeff Gordon.  Newman is sitting fourth, 203 points behind his teammate.  Both drivers are legitimate contenders for the championship, and the organization has a lot of momentum.

The last owner-driver to win the championship was the late Alan Kulwicki in 1992. Stewart has his best opportunity to win the title this season, in his own equipment.

Will Stewart-Haas Racing win more races this year, definitely.  Has the team silenced the critics of the choice to start the team, for sure.

Can Stewart-Haas Racing win the Sprint Cup title?  That is a question that will be answered once the Chase begins.