NEW YORK (Dec. 2, 2005) NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series champion Tony Stewart (#20 The Home Depot Chevrolet) will collect $6,173,633 in point fund awards a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series point fund award record along with special awards totaling $517,000. The post-season payouts bring his 2005 season total to $13,578,168, the largest single-season total in NASCAR history. Stewarts take exceeds the previous single-season record, $10,979,757, set by Jeff Gordon (#24 DuPont Chevrolet) in 2001. Stewarts career winnings now total $48,467,449, making him the fifth-highest money winner on NASCARs all-time list. Over $25 million in point fund awards will be distributed to the top 25 drivers in the final NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series point standings. Runner-up Greg Biffle (#16 National Guard Ford) will receive over $2.62 million in point fund awards, bringing his season total to over $8.35 million. With over $6.7 million in race winnings this season, fifth-place Jimmie Johnson (#48 Lowes Chevrolet) was the seasons next-highest money winner. Johnson will receive $20,000 in post-season special awards and more than $1.7 million from the point fund, for a 2005 season total of over $8.33 million.(NASCAR PR), see full winnings for top-25 on my 2005 Nextel Cup Banquet, News, Winnings page.(12-2-2005)
