"He better be worried, that's all I've got to say”: When Tony Stewart viciously jibed at Carl Edwards amid fierce NASCAR title hunt

In 2011, Tony Stewart eyed his third NASCAR Cup Series title, while his rival Carl Edwards, inched closer to bagging his career-first NASCAR Cup championship. Their fierce battle followed until the season finale at the Homestead Miami Speedway, where Stewart-Haas Racing's owner and driver dethroned the then-Roush Fenway Racing driver from the pinnacle spot.

However, Stewart's vicious jibe at Edwards came four races earlier, at the Martinsville Speedway. After leading 14 laps, making a late-race pass over Jimmie Johnson, and rising from a fourth-place start to etching the 2011 TUMS Bring It On 500 race win, the #14 Chevrolet driver jumped out of his high-octane ride and openly challenged his title rival.

"He better be worried. That's all I've got to say. He's not going to sleep for the next three week," Stewart said via Amarillo Globe News.

Stewart's Martinsville win marked his third victory in the first seven playoff races, and he jumped from fourth place in the standings to emerging behind Edwards in second, with an eight-point deficit.

At that time, Carl Edwards was the winningest driver at Texas Motor Speedway, which was the eighth race on the 10-race playoff slate. Edwards swept both races in the 2008 season and won the fall race in 2005. However, things didn't go well for the Roush Fenway driver as Tony Stewart reigned supreme at the 1.5-mile oval, while the former finished second.

The following races at Phoenix and Homestead-Miami saw the SHR driver collect a P3 and P1 finishes, respectively, and propel himself atop the Cup Series rankings, sidelining Edwards from his maiden Cup Series title.

"We'll see what happens at Texas": Carl Edwards laughed at Tony Stewart's 'better be worried' jibe

While Tony Stewart couldn't emerge victorious in any of the 26 regular season races, his performance improved exponentially in the final ten races, securing five wins. Stewart was fresh off his third race victory in Martinsville and brimmed with confidence entering the 'Texas Title Fight.'

Nonetheless, Carl Edwards, the the driver with the most number of wins in Texas at the time was unfazed by Stewart's 'better be worried' jibe, as he was confident in his capability to give a hard challenge to his title rival at the track he has previously tamed.

"He's wound up. He won the race. We'll see what happens in Texas. I told you guys I thought he was one of the guys that could win this race and be a guy that you'd have to beat for the championship, and I think he's proving that right now. But yeah, we'll have fun," Edwards said.

As the race progressed, Edwards, who led 14 laps, couldn't outperform Stewart, who was hot on championship pursuit and led 173 out of 334 laps at the AAA Texas 500. The race win inched Stewart five points closer to the Roush Fenway rival, leaving the gap to three.

The duo's rivalry continued till the final race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Despite both drivers ending the 2011 season with 2403 points each, Tony Stewart's five wins over Carl Edwards' one made the former a three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion.