2005
By Ben White
Driving the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet, Tony Stewart recorded five wins, 25 top-10 finishes and three pole positions en route to his second Cup Series championship and the third series title for team owner Joe Gibbs.
Tony Stewart’s most successful NASCAR Cup Series season ended with the Indiana native claiming his second NASCAR Cup Series championship. His five victories came at Sonoma, Daytona, New Hampshire, Watkins Glen and Indianapolis, his home track. Following his Brickyard 400 victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Stewart said, “It was a track we tried to win at in open-wheel Indy cars and came close but couldn’t close the deal.”
Stewart began the season with a seventh-place finish in the season-opening Daytona 500. That translated into a sixth-place spot in the Cup Series point standings behind leader Jeff Gordon. By the seventh and eighth races of the season, he had finished 21st and 33rd for his worst results of the season.
Stewart remained in the top-10 in points until the biggest victory of his career in the Brickyard 400. The win elevated him into the points lead for seven weeks until finishing 18th at Dover Motor Speedway on Sept. 25th. His second-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway the next week moved him back to the points lead, which he held the remainder of the season.
On Nov. 20, Stewart secured his second Cup Series championship, joining Jeff Gordon as the only active, full-time drivers to have won multiple titles.
With his second series crown, Stewart elevated himself to a new level of respect among his fellow competitors in the garage area.
2005
PRESIDENT: GEORGE W. BUSH
NO. 1 AT THE BOX OFFICE: STAR WARS EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH
MOVIES TO WATCH: WAR OF THE WORLDS AND HARRY POTTER AND GOBLET OF FIRE
NO. 1 SONG: “WE BELONG TOGETHER” BY MARIAH CAREY
GALLON OF GAS: $2.30
POP CULTURE: ON APRIL 23, “ME AT THE ZOO” BECAME THE FIRST VIDEO UPLOADED TO YOUTUBE. THE 19-SECOND VIDEO FEATURED YOUTUBE CO-FOUNDER JAWED KARIM AT THE SAN DIEGO ZOO.
BEST DRIVER
Greg Biffle, driver of the No. 16 Roush Racing Ford, led the win column with six NASCAR Cup Series victories in 2005. The native of Vancouver, Washington, enjoyed wins at California, Texas, Darlington, Dover, Michigan and Homestead. All told, Biffle logged 21 top-10 finishes in 36 starts and finished second in points. He only suffered one DNF but still fell short to Stewart at season’s end. It was as close as Biffle came to winning the title.
BEST RACE
Driving the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet, Tony Stewart led 44 of 160 laps to win the Allstate Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Stewart, of Columbus, Indiana, took the lead from Kasey Kahne with 10 laps remaining and never looked back. The estimated 280,000 fans in attendance, as well as millions watching on television, enjoyed the incredible post-race celebration. Stewart stopped at his family’s suite and then climbed the fence with his crew.
TOP CARS
The No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Home Depot Chevrolet driven by Tony Stewart won five times and had 25 top-10 finishes.
Greg Biffle’s No. 16 Roush Racing National Guard Ford topped six races and recorded 21 top-10 results in 36 starts.
2005 Season Recap
DATE | LOCATION | WINNER
Feb. 20 | Daytona International Speedway | Jeff Gordon
Feb. 27 | Rockingham Speedway | Greg Biffle
March 13 | Las Vegas Motor Speedway | Jimmie Johnson
March 20 | Atlanta Motor Speedway | Carl Edwards
April 3 | Bristol Motor Speedway | Kevin Harvick
April 10 | Martinsville Speedway | Jeff Gordon
April 17 | Texas Motor Speedway | Greg Biffle
April 23 | Phoenix Raceway | Kurt Busch
May 1 | Talladega Superspeedway | Jeff Gordon
May 7 | Darlington Raceway | Greg Biffle
May 14 | Richmond Raceway | Kasey Kahne
May 29 | Charlotte Motor Speedway | Jimmie Johnson
June 5 | Dover Motor Speedway | Greg Biffle
June 12 | Pocono Raceway | Carl Edwards
June 19 | Michigan International Speedway | Greg Biffle
June 26 | Sonoma Raceway | Jeff Gordon
July 2 | Daytona International Speedway | Tony Stewart
July 10 | Chicagoland Speedway | Dale Earnhardt Jr.
July 17 | New Hampshire Motor Speedway | Tony Stewart
July 24 | Pocono Raceway | Kurt Busch
Aug. 7 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Tony Stewart
Aug. 14 | Watkins Glen International | Tony Stewart
Aug. 21 | Michigan International Speedway | Jeremy Mayfield
Aug. 27 | Bristol Motor Speedway | Matt Kenseth
Sept. 4 | Auto Club Speedway | Kyle Busch
Sept. 10 | Richmond Raceway | Kurt Busch
Sept. 18 | New Hampshire Motor Speedway | Ryan Newman
Sept. 25 | Dover Motor Speedway | Jimmie Johnson
Oct. 2 | Talladega Superspeedway | Dale Jarrett
Oct. 9 | Kansas Speedway | Mark Martin
Oct. 15 | Charlotte Motor Speedway | Jimmie Johnson
Oct. 23 | Martinsville Speedway | Jeff Gordon
Oct. 30 | Atlanta Motor Speedway | Carl Edwards
Nov. 6 | Texas Motor Speedway | Carl Edwards
Nov. 13 | Phoenix Raceway | Kyle Busch
Nov. 20 | Homestead-Miami Speedway | Greg Biffle
