Tony Stewart is the champion. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the resident rock star of the sport, the glamour boy with the ladies. And good-ol’ boy Bill Elliott was voted the Most Popular Driver again.

But none of those guys made the cut when “Saturday Night Live” looked to NASCAR for a guest host. That honor went to Jeff Gordon. Love him or hate him, Gordon is the most recognizable name in the sport.

It wasn’t just a whim that SNL producer Loren Michaels and NBC selected Gordon to become the first racecar driver and one of the few athletes to host the popular comedy show. He will host the Jan. 11 telecast.

For the casual sports fan, Gordon is NASCAR’s biggest name. Earnhardt Jr. would run a close second, but he isn’t the polished media pro Gordon has become. Gordon also has broader appeal on both coasts and probably is better known to the typical SNL viewer.

His selection by SNL is another indication that the four-time Winston Cup champion is so well known that he transcends the normal boundaries of a stock car driver.

By accepting the SNL gig, Gordon also is showing he is willing to make fun of himself and his profession. He said he’s ready for any skit they throw at him, but the one area that might be off limits is his pending divorce.

The matter remains unresolved, 10 months after Brooke Gordon filed for divorce over “marital misconduct.” Jeff recently had to list his earnings during their seven-year marriage. It came to $48.8 million.

Brooke wants 50 percent, but Gordon counter-sued his wife, saying she shouldn’t receive an equal split of the couple’s estate because he risked his life while earning it.

Gordon also listed his net monthly income in 2001 at $1.1 million. His monthly expenses were $253,123 — including $51,903 a month to maintain his mansion in Highland Beach, Fla. He also said he donates $8,900 a month to charities.

Brooke wants the $10 million mansion and wants Gordon to continue to pay the salaries of their housekeepers, maintenance workers and chef. She also wants alimony, two cars and periodic use of their boats and an airplane.

Sounds like great material for an SNL skit, but don’t expect to see it since the divorce isn’t final.

Briefly

l Don Schumacher’s NHRA Funny Car teams will switch from Chevrolet to Dodge in 2003. Schumacher also has added Gary Scelzi as the driver of the Oakley-sponsored hot rod. Whit Bazemore will continue to drive the Matco Tools Funny Car.

l Many of the big-money teams in open-wheel racing have switched from CART to IRL, but some of the limited-funding teams are going the other direction. Mi-Jack Racing is moving to CART, a switch that probably will save the team $3 million in 2003. Brazilian rookie Mario Haberfeld will drive for the team.

l Autoweek is reporting that Toyota will enter NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2004 and begin a Winston Cup program in 2007. The publication says an agreement has been reached between Toyota and NASCAR for Toyota to begin work on a carbureted V8 engine.