"I didn't even go to the shop" - Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, and Chase Elliott share what set them above rivals in their championship seasons

Past and present NASCAR champions, including Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Chase Elliott, and others, recently shared insights on what gave them an edge over their competitors during their championship-winning seasons.

Stewart clinched his three championships in three different points formats. His first title in 2002 came in the full-season points format, while his second in 2005 was under the initial Chase format. His third championship in 2011 came under a revised Chase for the Sprint Cup format.

In a recent interview with Fox Sports, the Stewart Haas Racing co-owner revealed that he disconnected from the media and avoided visits to the shop during the season finale in order to manage emotions. He believes this detachment gave him a competitive edge, allowing him to stay focused.

"I think every year was different. The complexion of all three of our championships were quite a bit different. But I remember the thing that I was very adamant about going into the last race was just totally disconnecting from everything that week. We didn't do media that week. I didn't even go to the shop that week." he told Bob Pockrass.

"I literally just spent time with myself and trying to take the emotion out of the equation, knowing that during the weekend, it was going to build at an exponential rate. And for me, what it took for me personally, was to be able to remove myself from everything. I didn't watch the racing shows, I didn't watch prerace shows. I didn't want to know about anything other than when it was time to get in the race car."

Chase Elliott, the 2020 NASCAR Cup champion, reflected on how winning the penultimate race at Martinsville boosted his confidence heading into the season finale. Entering the Martinsville weekend below the cutline, Elliott secured a dominant victory, which he followed up with another dominant performance at Phoenix, to win the title.

"Winning Martinsville the week before [the championship race]. Just coming off of a win like that, being in the position that we were in at Martinsville was really similar to what the feeling was of being in the final four. So it was just a really good time for that victory, and I think it prepared us really well for what was to come in the next week." Elliott told Pockrass.

For NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon, the camaraderie with his #24 Hendrick Motorsports team was instrumental in clinching his four Cup championships. He emphasized that being in sync with the "Rainbow Warriors" crew was crucial, as their strong bond made it easier to overcome obstacles.

"Just staying really close to the team. When the team's in sync and you’ve got confidence in one another, things just seem to be flowing and clicking and good results seem to be coming at the right time. Overcoming obstacles or challenges seem to be a little bit easier, and I think that when you're in sync with your team, the camaraderie is there, just everybody's got the right attitude going into every race. I don't know if it was something that I necessarily did, it's just that's what I felt in those championship years." he told Pockrass.

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Kevin Harvick on how Tony Stewart helped him 2014 title victory

Kevin Harvick won the 2014 championship in his first season with the Tony Stewart co-owned Stewart Haas Racing. In a past interview with Graham Bensinger, Harvick said that his friend and teammate Stewart provided immense support throughout the season, especially in the inaugural elimination-style playoff format.

"Tony had been pretty supportive, to get this whole thing going when I decided to come to Stewart Haas Racing. But as we got towards the end of the year, and the pressure started to pick up, Tony was always there to be the one to say, just keep grinding." he said about Tony Stewart[from 0:23]

Harvick added that following his victory in the penultimate race at Phoenix, Stewart wasted no time in planning the details for the championship weekend alongside his wife, DeLana Harvick. Rather than celebrating the win, the SHR co-owner was invested in discussing how to keep his driver relaxed for the upcoming championship decider.