INDIANAPOLIS - The tears came when he took the lead at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as Tony Stewart was speeding through the second turn and caught a quick glimpse of his father in the stands.

Nelson Stewart was standing against the fence, arms in the air, cheering his son on to the win they have so desperately chased.

"When I saw him on that railing, and saw the emotion on his face, that's when I got tears in my eyes," Stewart said. "I just wanted to finish one time."

At long last, Stewart has an Indy victory. He ended nine years of frustration and heartbreak Sunday by winning the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, filling a hole in his trophy case he'd left empty since his father began taking him to the famed race track as a toddler.

He was a kid growing up in Indiana, just 45 minutes away from the Speedway. All he wanted to do with his life was race, and one day he hoped to do it at the Brickyard.

But it was all about the Indianapolis 500, the crown jewel event that Stewart begged his parents to take him to every May. He tried to win that race five different times, only to be taunted and teased by the track over and over again.

Now concentrating on his NASCAR career, Stewart never felt like a stock-car win at Indy would be a cheap replacement. He didn't care what he was driving - he just wanted to win.

"You dream about something for so long, you become consumed by it," Stewart said.

His Brickyard win secure, Stewart now needs a new obsession. He's a champion in several series, including NASCAR and the Indy Racing League, and he always said he'd trade it all for one win at Indy.

So what's next?

"I got out of the car and the first thing my Dad said to me was 'Now go get the Indy 500,'" Stewart said. "I said 'Can't I just enjoy this one? Dude, it's not a mail order. You just don't call a phone number and give your credit card and they bring you the trophy.'"

Still, the Indy 500 automatically becomes his next goal. Only it will have to wait - Stewart has vowed to ignore the open-wheel event until his NASCAR career is over.

With this victory, his fourth in the past six races, Stewart is now the hottest driver in NASCAR and a favorite to win the Nextel Cup title. He took over the lead in the standings, opening a 75-point lead over Jimmie Johnson.

But there was no talk of titles on this day. All Stewart wanted was to participate in all of Indy's traditional celebrations - he was joined by his mother, father and sister when he kissed the Yard of Bricks - then it was time to party.

"This is one of those days that I don't want to end. I don't want to see the sun set. This is a day I want to stretch as long as I can," he said. "This is definitely the greatest day of my life, professionally and personally.

"I don't even know what to say. Since I was a little kid I've always just wanted to compete at the Brickyard."

It took moving home to the tiny three-bedroom house he was raised in Columbus, a 45-minute drive outside of Indy, to make the win happen. Suddenly, Tony the Terrible - the nickname he'd earned after dozens of tantrums and tussles as NASCAR's reigning Bad Boy - was softening.

Leaving Charlotte, N.C., a fishbowl for NASCAR's stars, and going home again started what's been a yearlong personality transformation for Stewart.

Stewart surrounded himself with his childhood friends and blended into the community. He bowls on the weeknights, stops for beers at the Moose and Eagles Lodges and grabs free milkshakes at Dairy Queen.

He walks his neighbors dog, has keys to their homes, and goes out of his way to lend a helping hand.

It's had a calming effect on the temperamental driver, who has yet to have one of his famous blowups this season.

One of them came here in 2002, in the lowest point of his career. After every disappointing finish here, Stewart was famous for stomping off in anger. Only that time, he snapped. Stewart punched an approaching photographer after fading out of the lead to a devastating 12th place finish.

But this is a calmer, kinder Stewart and he used all of his newfound maturity to earn this win. His Joe Gibbs Racing team felt this would be his best chance in seven NASCAR starts to win this event.

"This is the most relaxed I've seen him in seven years here," crew chief Greg Zipadelli said. "But this is also the most relaxed I've seen him in an entire season. It's also the first time I've seen him sit back and realize what he's capable of."

In years past, an antsy Stewart would charge to the front of the field and lead lap after lap in pursuit of his dream. This time, he was content to hang back in the pack after starting 22nd.

There was no need to race to the front.

When the time was right, Stewart would get there.

He finally did 100 laps into the race and seemed headed to the win. Then Kasey Kahne snatched the lead away from him with 27 laps to go and it could have been over for Stewart.

Every other year, losing the lead would have been enough to make a frustrated Stewart quit trying out of anger and drift back to a meaningless finish. Instead, he stayed calm as he chased down Kahne.

When a caution came out with 15 laps to go, Stewart had the biggest decision of the race in front of him: Should he give up track position to pit for tires, or stay out and try to muscle his way past Kahne.

He and Zipadelli debated back and forth over the radio, with Zipadelli urging his driver to make a decision.

"I'm too .... nervous to call it, bud," he replied.

So they stayed on the track, gambling that they made the right decision.

It took Stewart just seconds to get into the lead, passing Kahne as they exited the second turn with 11 laps to go. He had to fight to hold him off, finally shaking him for good with just over 10 miles to go. There was no challenge as he crossed the finish line, screaming his appreciation to Zipadelli and his team.

Back on the pit box, Zipadelli was too emotional to speak.

"You have no idea what this means," he sobbed. "Walking up to him and seeing that smile on his face. This just means so much to him."