HOMESTEAD, Fla. - Today is the day driver Tony Stewart is expected to wrap up his first Winston Cup championship. But Stewart doesn't want to think about it, doesn't want to talk about it, doesn't, it seems at times, even want to know about it.

But, of course, there is no getting around it. Here at the Ford 400, the final race of the season, at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Stewart is the center of attention.

And yesterday, when Stewart should have been totally concentrated on his racing, he found himself embroiled in yet another physical encounter with a photographer.

Shortly after the final practice session of the season, as photographers swarmed toward him in the garage area, Stewart attempted to avoid them by jogging through the NASCAR inspection bay on his way to his team's hauler.

But, on the way, he reportedly went out of his way to run into a photographer with his shoulder and forearm and made an unprintable comment.

"I was trying to stay as far away from him as possible and still get his picture," said Getty Images photographer Rusty Jarrett. "All I want to know is why. He's supposed to be everyone's hero. He's about to become the Winston Cup champion. I respect his work. I don't do anything to interfere with his job, and I expect him to show me the same respect as I do [his]."

Other witnesses said the incident "was nothing."

But an Associated Press photographer caught the incident on film, and although Jarrett did not complain to NASCAR, the AP photographer took his picture to NASCAR vice president Jim Hunter.

The result was a meeting after the garages closed yesterday evening among Jarrett, Stewart, car owner Joe Gibbs, NASCAR president Mike Helton, Hunter and Winston Cup competition director John Darby.

"It was a very candid meeting in which Rusty expressed his opinion of what happened and Tony Stewart gave his opinion of what happened," said Hunter. "Rusty accepted an apology and said he believed Tony when he said it was an accident. Everyone left happy, and it's a closed issue as far as we're concerned."

Stewart is on probation through Dec. 31 for knocking a photographer down at Indianapolis after the race there in August. If Stewart manages to make his way through one more day and win the title, it will no doubt be remembered as one of the most unusual achievements in Winston Cup history.

Even Stewart admits he will never forget this season.

"I'm sure it will come down to the final lap," he said. "This has been one of the most difficult things I've ever done in my life and not only just running for the championship, but just everything that we've had to go through off the racetrack."

Going into the Ford 400, Stewart holds an 89-point lead over Mark Martin and needs to finish only 22nd or better. Martin had hoped to cut the point margin in an appeal of the infraction that cost him 25 points Nov. 2.

But the National Stock Car Racing Commission panel, which heard Martin's appeal, ruled "NASCAR acted fairly and consistently in issuing the penalties."

The Roush team had argued that the left front spring, found to be lacking an eighth of a coil in post-race inspection at Rockingham, N.C., had come from the NASCAR-sanctioned manufacturer exactly as it was when placed on the car without any tampering.

"When I woke up, I was pretty sure the oceans wouldn't boil and pigs wouldn't fly and that NASCAR wouldn't change its mind and that all got corroborated today," said Roush Racing president Geoff Smith. Martin was more stoic, taking the ruling in stride, and did not count himself out of the championship battle.

"If something were to happen and we finished within 24 points of Tony and we hadn't appealed, we would never have forgiven ourselves," he said. "I'm proud we've had a chance to contend down to the wire. And I believe miracles do happen, sometimes. It's not over yet."

But Stewart would have to be incredibly unlucky at this 1.5-mile track on which he has won twice in three races, because when it comes to talent, no one has ever doubted his ability. He is a racer's racer. He would be happy if all he had to do was drive a racecar in total seclusion for the rest of his life. He would be happy if he never had to say a word about this championship, because to Stewart, the whole championship story can be wrapped up in a few simple sentences.

"It's just about competing with 42 other guys and just trying to go faster than they do," he said. "That's what it has always been about. It always seems to amaze me how everybody wants to make more out of it than what it is. It's a sport that we have. It's a fascinating sport. And it always boils down to one thing, and that is trying to be faster and get to the finish line before anybody else does."

And he isn't kidding. He is 31 years old and been racing for 23 years, and all he has ever done on race day is try to win.

"I'm a simple boy from a small town in Indiana," he said. "I love [racing] now for the same reason that I did when I was 8 years old. When I was 8 years old, it was cool because I was the only kid on the block that got to race a go-kart that went 50 miles an hour ... that was the fun part."

So, today, he will try to avoid photographers and everyone else as he buckles himself into his Pontiac and simply tries to go faster than anyone else.