Tony Stewart vowed to enjoy his final Sprint Cup season, and running well over the last eight races has helped.But Stewart also found, and not to his surprise, what Jeff Gordon realized during his final full season a year ago: NASCAR Sprint Cup racing is just too intense and too demanding to have fun throughout the experience.Its work now and retirement when its over. Stewart will have to thrive and revel in the pressure of Sprint Cup racing for 14 more weeks before he hangs up his Sprint Cup driver suit.It is a tradeoff, says the three-time Sprint Cup champion. Its one of the most competitive forms of motorsports in the world right now, and because it is, is why its not necessarily fun all the time.Its work and its a lot of stress and its a lot of hours. I spend more time looking at data than I ever have.At least the work appears be paying off. Stewart has four top-5 finishes in his last five races and six top-10 finishes in his last eight. His last two events, fifth-place runs at Pocono and Watkins Glen, were races where it could easily be argued he had more of a 10th-place car than a fifth-place car, but worked strategically to get the higher finish.It also has some looking at Stewart as the guy who won the 2011 Sprint Cup title with an incredible Chase, where he won five of the final 10 races.Im not sure were ready to rip off five wins in 10 races, but the confidence that we have and the demeanor of everybody on the team is definitely the same right now [as in 2011], Stewart said.Stewart hasnt led enough laps yet to be considered a full-bore championship contender. He led 22 laps at Sonoma, but those laps and one lap at Daytona are all he has led in the last 11 races. Thats not necessarily championship-caliber performance, but it is a performance that would keep a driver in the championship hunt likely until at least the third round.I still think were a little bit short of where we need to be, Stewart said prior to the race at Watkins Glen last week. Were gaining on it. We have got to get to where [teammate] Kevin [Harvick] is to have a shot at it. ... Whether we are going to be a championship contender or not, I want to be running good each week.Weve got that on our side. Everybody is relaxed and everybody is having fun. Thats what I want this last year.Stewart hasnt really thought about the Chase yet for two reasons -- four races still remain (starting with the Aug. 20 race at Bristol), and he doesnt see the use of filling his mind with strategy for his first appearance in an elimination Chase.[The format] doesnt matter - if you go out there and win races, the rest of it takes care of itself -- the same as it did 18 years ago when I came into this series, Stewart said.In other words, Stewart will gear up toward his last Chase the same way he has in the past -- he will focus on getting the best finish possible and continue to do things his way. That will include going off to races at dirt tracks and other facilities holding events where his sprint-car teams or the sprint-car series he owns are competing.Stewart points to finishing second at New Hampshire last month after returning from Eldora Speedway in the wee hours of the morning as a sign he can continue the schedule that leaves crew chief Mike Bugarewicz to handle figuring out the setup and Stewart available by text while having fun somewhere else.Being able to do go do those things, if we were having a bad weekend, it got my mind off it, it helped keep me level, Stewart said. Instead of sitting in the motorhome, and sitting there trying to get a Ouija board out and trying to figure out the magic setup was for the next day, I would go somewhere else and get the mind off of it.The best thing I can do is go keep myself busy. When I can do that, it seems to work better for me. ... Its not the sleep I need. Its the clear mind I need. I can stay up like a rockstar still and Im not sure the rest of these kids can.Keeping that clear mind also requires Stewart to not focus on his last race at the tracks the remainder of the season. He knows he will return at least as an owner, so its not like he wont drive through the tunnel in the future.I try to downplay it in my mind, Stewart said. I want to focus on what Im doing for the weekend. The nostalgia stuff, you think about it after the event is over.After Indy [last month], I thought about what Indy meant. I didnt think about it all weekend. I thought about what I could do to win the race. You stick to your guns with what you do. You stay in race mode. When the weekend is over and the race mode is over, then you think about all the other things.Like what he needs to do to prepare for the Chase...[Were] still just trying to find a little more speed, and we just keep building on what weve been building on up until this point -- I dont think were looking for big magic right now, Stewart said. Its just to keep the same progress going and keep going down that path and making it better and better.I sleep a lot better during the weekends. Theres been nights before the race that I felt like we were a 15th-place car and that we were going to struggle, and then we found a way to pull something out of it at the end. And thats what it takes. Swell Flaske Marmor . It is a cliché dragged out by fans and pundits regularly when discussions take place around which teams are better than others. Swell Flaske 500 Ml . Here are his mid-season NBA awards. MVP: (KEVIN DURANT-Thunder) - Has been sensational this season and more importantly, the most consistent player in the league. Considering that his team has been without star guard Russell Westbrook and with the free agent departure of sharpshooter Kevin Martin, hes had to carry the majority of the load to not only keep his team afloat but more importantly, at an elite level. http://www.swellflaskenorge.com/swell-traveler-norge.html . Louis Blues. Shane Hnidy joins Brian Munz for the broadcast on TSN 1290 Radio at 7pm ct. Swell Flaske Blomster .C. -- Manny Malhotra had two goals and an assist, leading the Carolina Hurricanes to a 6-3 win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. Swell Flaske . -- Team after team passed on Andre Ellington in the draft. NEW YORK -- If rookie Ryan Schimpf keeps hitting home runs at this pace, he could play a key role in the Padres future.The 28-year-old second baseman homered twice and drove in six runs as San Diego beat the reeling New York Mets 8-6 on Friday night.I want him to kind of get lost in the game hes competing in and the day and not think about what it means in the future, Padres manager Andy Green said. I think if youre worried about your future, you dont do nearly as well in the present.Fellow rookie Jabari Blash and Christian Bethancourt also homered early for the Padres, who handed the Mets their fourth straight defeat and sixth in seven games. The defending NL champions (57-58) fell below .500 for the first time since April 17.One day after getting swept at home by last-place Arizona, the Mets again failed to look like legitimate wild-card contenders. Beneath a dark sky with lightning flashing, the Padres lineup provided quick thunder against starter Logan Verrett (3-8).San Diego, which has alternated wins and losses since July 26, jumped out to a 5-0 lead six batters into the game -- including a grand slam by Schimpf.Travis Jankowski opened the game with a single, and Wil Myers and Yangervis Solarte walked to load the bases.After a popout to left field, Schimpf sent a 1-0 fastball just over the center-field wall for his first career slam.Its just one game, but Im just trying to go up there and put together a good at-bat, said Schimpf, who has spent parts of eight seasons in the minors. Just trying not to do too much and not think about numbers.As Mets fans began to chant Rainout! Rainout! hoping for a reprieve, Blash hit an opposite-field homer into the visitors bullpen to make it 5-0.The threatening clouds passed, and inclement weather couldnt save New York.Travis dArnaud, who had three hits, got the Mets on the board in the second, lining a two-run homer to left off Padres starter Paul Clemens.San Diego answered immediately in the third. Schimpf sent a two-run shot into the right-field upper deck, his 12th home run in 47 games.I was just up there trying to get a good pitch to drive and I got two of them, so its good to do something and get the win, Schimpf said.Two batters later, Bethancourt chhased Verrett with a solo home run, putting the Padres up 8-2.ddddddddddddThe four homers allowed by Verrett, who gave up eight runs in 2 2/3 innings, were the most by a Mets starter since Bartolo Colon also served up four in April 2014.Im disappointed in the game today, Verrett said. I put our team in a hole.Clemens (2-2) pitched five innings of three-run ball, and Brandon Maurer worked a flawless ninth for his fifth save.Jay Bruce had an RBI single in the fifth, and New York rallied in the sixth against San Diegos bullpen.After dArnaud led off with a single, Alejandro De Aza was hit in the neck by Buddy Baumanns 87 mph fastball. De Aza was OK, and Matt Reynolds followed with an RBI double. Ty Kelly had a run-scoring single to make it 8-5.Left-hander Brad Hand struck out Curtis Granderson, and pinch-hitter Wilmer Flores grounded into a fielders choice that scored Reynolds.They did not roll over at all. They fought and made it a heck of a baseball game, Green said. A lot of teams easily roll over when theyre down 8-2 and just kind of concede the game.A trio of Mets relievers combined for 6 1/3 perfect innings with eight strikeouts.SHUT `EM DOWNThe Padres have won 133 consecutive games when leading after eight innings, the longest active streak in the majors.TRAINERS ROOMPadres: RHP Tyson Ross (right shoulder, right ankle) will throw a bullpen Friday or Saturday. He is inching closer to pitching live batting practice. ... CF Jon Jay (right forearm) will return to San Diego on Sunday and have tests done on Monday. Green hopes Jay will then be cleared to begin swinging a bat.Mets: INF Jose Reyes (oblique) continued his rehab assignment with Class A Brooklyn, going 2 for 5 with a double, an RBI and two runs while playing seven innings at third base.UP NEXTPadres: RHP Jarred Cosart (0-1, 5.79 ERA) makes his third start for San Diego since being acquired from Miami. He has allowed five runs on 11 hits and six walks in 8 1/3 innings with the Padres.Mets: RHP Jacob deGrom (7-5, 2.35) goes for his fourth straight quality start. He is 2-1 with a 1.62 ERA since the All-Star break. ' ' '