Stewart cashes in on record season

~ The points champion earned more than $13.5 million in 2005.

NEW YORK -- Tony Stewart's best year in NASCAR's Nextel Cup series reached the bottom line Friday, with the two-time champion setting a record for single-season earnings.

He picked up $6,173,633 from the points fund set up by series sponsor Nextel and NASCAR, and added $517,000 in contingency awards from sponsors. Combined with the prize money earned during the 36-race season, Stewart's total of $13,578,168 breaks the previous mark of $10,979,757 by Jeff Gordon in 2001.

Stewart had a migraine headache Friday that caused him to miss a breakfast at which he was to collect several checks from sponsors, but he was feeling a lot better on stage Friday night during the awards ceremony at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

Stewart is a lifelong racer, a driver who ranks making money below winning races, winning championships and just driving the car.

When told he has now earned $48.4 million in his Cup career, Stewart rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"I'm not going to give the checks back," he said, grinning. "But we didn't start racing because we thought we'd be collecting a big check at the end of the season. We did it for the thrill of winning races and, at the time I started racing, wanting my trophy to be bigger than the next guy's trophy."

The other nine drivers in the second Chase for the championship also were given big checks Friday night, along with 11th-place finisher Gordon and rookie of the year Kyle Busch.

Runner-up Greg Biffle got a points fund check for $2,624,124, while 10th-place Kurt Busch, the 2004 champion, received $1,151,543. Four-time champion Gordon, who didn't attend the ceremony, got $1,075,386, including a $250,000 bonus for finishing 11th.

The spotlight was mostly on Stewart, who celebrated his second title with crew chief Greg Zipadelli and team president J.D. Gibbs, son of team owner Joe Gibbs.