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Here’s the difference between NASCAR Nextel Cup stars Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart:

Johnson was planning a trip to Europe to spend time with his wife, Chandra, before the next race, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 29.

Stewart, after winning the Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway on Sunday, said he was going to drink a case of Schlitz and then, later in the week, head to Macon Speedway in Illinois for a late-model race Saturday night.

“You have no idea how glad I am to have a week off,” said Stewart, driver of the No. 20 Chevrolet for Joe Gibbs Racing. “I’m taking this momentum on vacation. And I’ve got a case of Schlitz that I fully intend on getting to the bottom of the cardboard box, even if I have to do it by myself. I don’t care. It’s going to happen. That’s if I don’t pass out first.”

Johnson intended for his week off to be a little more docile.

“Chandra and I are going to Europe and just get away from everything,” said Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. “It’s time to relax and unwind and spend some time together. As the Chase draws closer, things are going to get more and more hectic, so you take every opportunity you can for rest and relaxation.”

No doubt.

It’s not rocket science

When the Chase for the Championship starts, Stewart and Johnson, winners of the past two Cup titles, most likely will be in the thick of it. They most likely will be in contention until the final race of the year.

Stewart might have a little something to prove. He missed out on the Chase last year because he was not among the top 10 drivers when the Chase started. But he won three of the last 10 races. And though Stewart got hot during the Chase, it did nothing to spoil Johnson’s championship run.

This time around, it looks as if Stewart will be a factor. He is sixth in the standings with seven races to go before the Chase starts.

Stewart is focused on making the Chase and trying not to make it too complicated once it starts.

“But we’re not sending the space shuttle to outer space with this format,” Stewart said. “It’s pretty easy to figure out. Twelve guys get in and they have the same amount of points, and the guy that won the most races gets 10 extra bonus points for every race you win. It’s easy to do the math. It’s easy for everybody to follow.”

Things are looking up

And it looks as if Joe Gibbs Racing is finally catching Hendrick Motorsports in performance on the race track. Johnson and his Hendrick teammates combined to win 10 of the first 19 races. But Stewart and Denny Hamlin, his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, have won two of the past three races. Stewart has one victory and Johnson has a series-leading four.

J.D. Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing, said teams go through cycles during the long Nextel Cup season. His team appears to be on the upswing.

“There’s just kind of a wave that comes and goes, but I think the guys are on top of their game more consistently throughout a year and (can) be dominant,” Gibbs said. “That’s kind of our goal. We might not be winning everything, but you know your cars are good, your guys are good, and that gives you kind of peace there.”