LOUDON, N.H. - Tony Stewart tried to smile when he was asked if the Chase for the Championship had lost most of its luster without fan favorites Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon.
He even joked when some suggested NASCAR might create a way to include its biggest stars for the playoffs.
But behind that pressed smile was someone who already is tired of people making stock-car racing's championship a matter of popularity, not performance.
"I feel so bad right now, I want to withdraw from the Chase," Stewart said minutes after winning the pole position for today's Sylvania 300, the first leg of a 10-race championship run.
"I'll be honest: Here - you take the pole tomorrow, and I'll go to the Bahamas. I didn't realize it was that big of a drama. I thought the 10 guys who did the best job in 26 weeks to get in the Chase were the guys deserving to run for the championship. I didn't realize a popularity contest was involved in the Chase for the Championship."
Stewart was an easy target for such questions, since Earnhardt Jr. qualified second and Gordon was third for today's main event (1 p.m., TNT). Earnhardt was eliminated from the Chase two weeks ago; Gordon last week, and television ratings dropped since Earnhardt was out of playoff contention.
"So are you saying we're supposed to come up with a situation where Dale Jr. is in the Chase?" Stewart said, his mood suddenly become more terse.
The Chase starts today with Stewart atop the standings and seven other qualifiers starting among the top 15.
The driver who earns the most points in the final 10 races will win a championship worth at least $5.25 million.
Stewart got off to a good start with a lap of 131.143 mph around the one-mile oval.
Earnhardt Jr. was second at 131.075 mph, followed by Gordon at 130.777.
Gordon is 12th in the rankings and this year will mark the first time since his rookie season in 1993 he's failed to finish among the top 10.
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