Devastatingly close.
Lost the title at the last race of the season.
http://www.nascar.com/news/111122/2011-cup-season-most-competitve/index.html
RANK +/- DRIVER POINTS BEHIND STARTS POLES WINS TOP 5 TOP 10 WINNINGS
1 +1 Tony Stewart 2403 Leader 36 1 5 9 19 6,529,870
2 -1 Carl Edwards 2403 Leader 36 3 1 19 26 8,485,990
3 -- Kevin Harvick 2345 -58 36 0 4 9 19 6,197,140
4 +2 Matt Kenseth 2330 -73 36 3 3 12 20 6,183,580
5 -1 Brad Keselowski 2319 -84 36 1 3 10 14 5,087,740
6 -1 Jimmie Johnson 2304 -99 36 0 2 14 21 6,296,360
7 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2290 -113 36 1 0 4 12 4,163,690
8 +3 Jeff Gordon 2287 -116 36 1 3 13 18 5,912,830
9 +1 Denny Hamlin 2284 -119 36 0 1 5 14 5,401,190
10 -1 Ryan Newman 2284 -119 36 3 1 9 17 5,303,020
11 -3 Kurt Busch 2262 -141 36 3 2 8 16 5,936,470
12 -- Kyle Busch 2246 -157 35 1 4 14 18 6,161,020
13 -- Clint Bowyer 1047 -1356 36 0 1 4 16 5,633,950
14 -- Kasey Kahne 1041 -1362 36 2 1 8 15 4,775,160
15 +1 A.J. Allmendinger 1013 -1390 36 0 0 1 10 4,825,560
16 -1 Greg Biffle 997 -1406 36 3 0 3 10 4,318,050
17 +1 Paul Menard 947 -1456 36 0 1 4 8 3,853,690
18 +5 Martin Truex Jr. 937 -1466 36 1 0 3 12 3,955,560
19 -2 Marcos Ambrose 936 -1467 36 0 1 5 12 4,750,390
20 +2 Jeff Burton 935 -1468 36 0 0 2 5 3,807,780
21 -2 Juan Montoya 932 -1471 36 2 0 2 8 5,020,780
22 -2 Mark Martin 930 -1473 36 2 0 2 10 3,830,910
23 -2 David Ragan 906 -1497 36 2 1 4 8 4,203,660
24 -- Joey Logano 902 -1501 36 2 0 4 6 3,856,010
25 -- Brian Vickers 846 -1557 36 0 0 3 7 4,301,880
26 -- Regan Smith 820 -1583 36 0 1 2 5 4,579,860
27 -- Jamie McMurray 795 -1608 36 1 0 2 4 4,794,770
28 -- David Reutimann 757 -1646 36 1 0 1 3 4,374,770
29 -- Bobby Labonte 670 -1733 36 0 0 1 2 4,505,650
30 -- David Gilliland 572 -1831 36 0 0 1 2 3,878,390
31 -- Casey Mears 541 -1862 35 0 0 0 0 2,838,320
32 -- Dave Blaney 508 -1895 35 0 0 1 1 3,229,210
33 -- Andy Lally* 398 -2005 30 0 0 0 0 2,868,220
34 -- Robby Gordon 268 -2135 25 0 0 0 0 2,271,890
35 -- J.J. Yeley 192 -2211 31 0 0 0 0 2,559,500
36 -- Michael McDowell 139 -2264 32 0 0 0 0 2,475,320
37 -- Tony Raines 129 -2274 12 0 0 0 0 932,125
38 -- Ken Schrader 110 -2293 7 0 0 0 0 605,615
39 -- Terry Labonte 102 -2301 8 0 0 0 0 954,327
40 -- Bill Elliott 100 -2303 5 0 0 0 0 663,887
41 -- David Stremme 80 -2323 18 0 0 0 0 1,315,690
42 -- Michael Waltrip 56 -2347 3 0 0 0 1 479,713
43 -- Boris Said 38 -2365 2 0 0 0 0 194,730
44 +1 Geoffrey Bodine 33 -2370 4 0 0 0 0 315,722
45 +3 T.J. Bell* 29 -2374 5 0 0 0 0 432,683
46 -2 Stephen Leicht 20 -2383 1 0 0 0 0 88,558
47 -1 Andy Pilgrim 18 -2385 1 0 0 0 0 78,475
48 -1 Chris Cook 17 -2386 1 0 0 0 0 78,825
49 -- Brian Simo 11 -2392 1 0 0 0 0 74,470
50 -- Brian Keselowski* 3 -2400 1 0 0 0 0 297,338
51 -- Erik Darnell 2 -2401 2 0 0 0 0 133,615
52 -- Steve Park 2 -2401 1 0 0 0 0 78,855
53 -- Trevor Bayne 0 -2403 17 0 1 1 1 2,888,860
54 -- Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 0 -2403 1 0 0 0 0 106,175
55 -- Landon Cassill 0 -2403 32 0 0 0 0 2,882,930
56 -- Travis Kvapil 0 -2403 29 0 0 0 0 2,626,470
57 -- Steve Wallace 0 -2403 1 0 0 0 0 291,638
58 +1 Mike Bliss 0 -2403 18 0 0 0 0 1,574,830
59 -1 Mike Skinner 0 -2403 21 0 0 0 0 1,661,000
60 -- Cole Whitt 0 -2403 2 0 0 0 0 130,425
61 -- Hermie Sadler 0 -2403 3 0 0 0 0 236,125
62 -- Austin Dillon 0 -2403 1 0 0 0 0 82,850
63 -- David Starr 0 -2403 4 0 0 0 0 360,255
64 -- Scott Wimmer 0 -2403 4 0 0 0 0 296,967
65 -- Joe Nemechek 0 -2403 36 0 0 0 0 2,907,520
66 -- Patrick Carpentier 0 -2403 1 0 0 0 0 90,483
67 -- Ron Fellows 0 -2403 1 0 0 0 0 75,472
68 -- Scott Speed 0 -2403 13 0 0 0 0 1,018,690
69 -- Jason White 0 -2403 1 0 0 0 0 66,175
70 -- Sam Hornish Jr. 0 -2403 1 0 0 0 0 64,875
71 -- Andrew Ranger 0 -2403 1 0 0 0 0 62,625
72 -- Reed Sorenson 0 -2403 3 0 0 0 0 215,825
73 -- Johnny Sauter 0 -2403 1 0 0 0 0 70,250
74 -- Josh Wise 0 -2403 4 0 0 0 0 305,985
75 -- Todd Bodine 0 -2403 3 0 0 0 0 261,038
76 -- Dennis Setzer 0 -2403 1 0 0 0 0 81,000
77 -- Robert Richardson Jr. 0 -2403 1 0 0 0 0 270,313
78 -- Scott Riggs 0 -2403 4 0 0 0 0 275,363
79 -- Kevin Conway 0 -2403 3 0 0 0 0 277,551
80 -- P.J. Jones 0 -2403 1 0 0 0 0 72,724
81 -- Jeff Green 0 -2403 1 0 0 0 0 69,767
82 -- Derrike Cope 0 -2403 0 0 0 0 0 82,054
83 -- Tony Ave 0 -2403 0 0 0 0 0 0
84 -- Grant Enfinger 0 -2403 0 0 0 0 0 0