In society we have a tendency to slap a label on something the moment anything of any consequence happens. Often the label being used involves words like “greatest ever,” the biggest disappointment,” and so forth.

Instead of letting an event marinate and allowing time to dictate its place in history, we instantly try and determine where a particular moment fits in the spectrum of record.

Too often without the proper amount of time to digest what’s transpired, our instant analysis is proved incorrect.

Now, 48 hours removed from Tony Stewart doing the unthinkable and outdueling Carl Edwards in a stirring head-to-head duel to not only win the Ford 400 but the championship, the easy thing to do is say this was the best championship-deciding race in NASCAR history.

Upon a little reflection, it very could well be. However, that proclamation will have to wait.

Just once previously had a championship battle come down to the degree it did on Sunday.

That day was of course, November 15, 1992. A race many smarter than I view as the best race in NASCAR’s rich history.

It was on that day, the super team of Bill Elliott and Junior Johnson were looking to fend off a surprising upstart from Wisconsin who went by the name of Alan Kulwicki.

As Stewart and Edwards did this past weekend, Elliott and Kulwicki were running first and second in the closing laps. But unlike this past Sunday, Kulwicki knew because he had already secured the points bonus for leading the most laps, it wasn’t paramount he win the race.

The stubborn, headstrong driver who owned his own team (sound familiar?) knew finishing second would be good enough to secure him his first Sprint Cup.

That wasn’t a luxury afforded to Stewart Sunday.

Because Edwards had led the most laps, and because the No. 99 Ford Fusion car was as good as the Chevy Stewart was wheeling, The owner-driver knew there was only one way to bring home his third series title.

Anything less than a victory would equate to a runner-up finish in the final standings. A prospect that was unacceptable to the man who had made it loud and clear to his opponent just days before that when the dust settled, it would be him walking away with the championship hardware and not the man who had been the most consistent driver throughout the season.

To talk a big game is one thing. To go out and back up your statements in the most damning way possible is entirely different thing altogether.

Stewart, through both his actions and his words, willed his team to the championship.

He twice drove through the field to get to the front after getting repairs for a damaged grille which had been punctured by a piece of debris early on. As if this adversity wasn’t enough, more hurdles were to come including a lengthier than normal pit stop due to a malfunctioning air gun, to be followed by Stewart later running out of fuel.

Yet, in a race that had far-reaching consequences like no other, there he was still in position to challenge for the race win and the championship.

With 30 laps to go, it was Stewart out in front leading Edwards, knowing that one bobble, wiggle or one corner where he simply drove it in too hard would erase everything he and his team had overcome.

When the checkered flag was rolled out and waved, Stewart not only officially claimed his 44th career win but most importantly, his third Sprint Cup title.

This triumph firmly secured Stewart’s place in an elite group which includes Lee Petty, Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip, David Pearson, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty, as drivers who have three or more Sprint Cup championships to their name.

Accompanied with his accomplishments in open-wheel racing, where Stewart won the IndyCar title in 1997 and notched three victories in his two-plus years, it firmly cements him as one of the most diverse and accomplished drivers in a variety of disciplines of all-time.

But instead of trying to determine Stewart’s place in history and where this race may fall in the list of great NASCAR races, let’s just sit back and enjoy.

Let’s enjoy the gritty determination Stewart showed throughout the Chase which saw him win a record five playoff races and pass a total of 118 cars Sunday.

Let’s relish the class Edwards displayed despite losing the championship in the most painful way possible. I can’t image what Edwards is going through, knowing he did everything he could in the Chase – his 4.9 average finish was a Chase record and on Sunday he started on the pole, led the most laps and finished second – yet it still wasn’t good enough to overcome Stewart.

Let’s appreciate a race which showcased everything there is to love about stock car racing at its highest-level.

Let’s respect the efforts of Stewart’s crew chief, Darian Grubb, who just five weeks prior had been told that he would be out of a job at the end of the year.

As we do all these things, let’s also let time establish the hierarchy in which we will place Stewart’s win.

Although, to be honest, when everything is said and done and the time comes to judge this race, I have a fairly good idea where I’m going to put it.

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12 men started the 2011 edition of the Chase for the Sprint Cup with the goal of becoming champion. But after nine events that whittled the combatants down like contestants on an afternoon game show, we’re left with just two challengers.

Enter Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart.

In one corner you have a driver who has won races and championships in a variety of disciplines. A driver, who no matter what unfolds on Sunday, will go down as one of the best NASCAR drivers of his era.

In the other corner, you have a driver who while talented, is looking for his first championship of note. A driver who, while on the cusp of greatness, is still looking to take the next step and cement his place in NASCAR’s record book.

One driver owns his team while the other drives for one of the more powerful and well-off owners in the sport.

One represents Ford; the other has strong ties to Chevrolet. So much so he left the powerhouse Joe Gibbs Racing team because of their newfound allegiance to Toyota.

Sunday, under the Southern Florida blue skies the two will engage in the final round of their championship fight.

With a scant three points separating the two, this title isn’t going to be won by playing it safe and lagging in the middle of the pack.

To walk away with the hardware you’re going to need to run up front, and depending how the chips fall, maybe even win to secure the title.

“I truly believe this could come down to who wins this race is going to win this championship,” said Edwards yesterday during the championship contender’s press conference.

If that is the case, the odds are definitely in Stewart’s favor, as winning in the Chase is something he’s grown quite accustomed.

Since the green flag waved on the Chase, the Hoosier native has been won four times in a variety of ways.

There was the fuel-mileage win at Chicagoland, the late-race rallies at New Hampshire and Martinsville, where Stewart only led a combined 16 laps, yet still found a way to find Victory Lane, and of course the complete domination at Texas, when he led a race-high 173 laps and won by a comfortable one-second margin.

But it takes more than just winning to score a championship. It also takes consistency. And that very characteristic is why Edwards, and not Stewart, is leading the points.

“There are different approaches you can take to it,” explained Edwards, who is looking to deliver Ford it’s first driver’s title since 2004. “To be clear we haven’t gone out and said we aren’t going to try to win the race and just cruise and do our best. That is one of the things I am most proud of. We have performed very well even on the days when things didn’t stack up in our favor.”

No driver this year has scored more top-fives and top-10s than the driver who’s trying to deliver car owner Jack Roush’s third Sprint Cup title.

Not to mention, Edwards’ 9. 5 average finish makes him the only such driver to have an average finish in single digits. And through nine Chase races, Edwards worst result is an 11th at Talladega with a remarkable average finish of 5.2.

While Stewart was busy winning races in the Chase, Edwards was showcasing the consistency which has had him atop the standing 23 of 35 weeks.

While you may decry Edwards for having only one victory this season – in the third race of the year at Las Vegas – let’s not forget about those near-misses at Daytona, Bristol, Darlington, Richmond, Texas and Phoenix, all races where Edwards finished in the runner-up position.

It’s not as if Edwards is in the position he’s in based on pure luck. He’s earned it, just as much as Stewart has earned his four victories this season.

If you’re wondering who has the advantage Sunday, the scale would have to tip slightly in favor of the guy who has yet to win a championship.

In addition to being the hunted instead of the hunter, Homestead-Miami Speedway just so happens to be a place Edwards excels, having won two of the last three races here along with having six consecutive finishes of eighth or better.

It also helps that Ford has won seven of the last nine races on the 1.5-mile track

Conversely, because of the position he’s in entering the weekend, Stewart’s approach is that of someone who has nothing to lose with all the pressure squarely on Edwards’ shoulders.

If comes down to the last lap, Stewart made no secret of what he would do to win the championship.

“I’d wreck my mom to win a championship,” said a smiling Stewart.

Not surprisingly, Edwards isn’t exactly of the same mindset. Or at the very least, doesn’t want to reveal what he’s thinking publically.

“You don’t know what will happen in a race or how it will work out, said Edwards. “I am not about to tell him what I am going to do or what lengths I am willing to go to. It doesn’t help me to tell him my strategy. He has stated what he is willing to do and that is fine.

“I don’t think either of us underestimates the others resolve to win. I think that would be foolish.”

As for Stewart, who’s looking to become the first owner-driver since Alan Kulwicki to win the championship, he makes no bones about what this weekend is all about.

“I respect him as a driver, but this isn’t about friendships this weekend,” said Stewart. “This is a war. This is a battle. This is for a national championship. It’s no holds barred this weekend. I didn’t come this far to be one step away from it and let it slip away, so we’re going to go for it.

“They say there are talkers and doers. I’ve done this twice.”

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