Tony Stewart: Why This Season Makes Him a NASCAR Hall of Famer

Tony Stewart did not necessarily need to win his third Sprint Cup championship to guarantee himself a spot in the NASCAR Hall of Fame, but it helped.

Actually, it more than aided his case. He is now a sure lock to be enshrined in the future.

There exist no NASCAR drivers who have won three championships who are not already, or who will be surely, a member of the Hall of Fame.

With his win and his first place finish overall in the point standings, Smoke has now equalled the championship totals of NASCAR legends David Pearson, Darrell Waltrip, Lee Petty; and Cale Yarborough.

That is hallowed company.

Aside from such revered company, the manner in which Stewart was able to get to the mountain top a third time will also become part of NASCAR legend.

Without overstating the event that just recently occurred, Tony Stewart had to win and he pulled it off.

It is sometimes stated that nobody remembers who finished in second place. In the case of NASCAR in 2011, that claim will be difficult to uphold. The points were so close that it required a true Hall of Fame performance to fend off second place finisher in the race/season Carl Edwards to gain the title.

If this was Tony Stewart's first championship, little case could be made for the Hall of Fame.

However, being that this is his third championship, his legacy only grows larger.

It must also be noted that Stewart upended the greatest modern NASCAR dynasty that the sport has ever seen: Jimmie Johnson, Chad Knaus and the mighty organization of Hendrick Motorsports. Admittedly, he does get his engines from that organization, but he turned those engines toward his ultimate advantage.

In addition, he accomplished this third title as an owner/driver, the first since Alan Kulwicki in 1992.

Finally, he is also the first champion to ever separately lift the Winston Cup, the Nextel Cup and the Sprint Cup.

This speaks of his longevity of excellence in the sport, the mark of any true Hall of Fame inductee.

Is there any need to mention that he just pulled off the greatest Chase run in the history of NASCAR?