Tony Stewart Owns Daytona Nationwide Race -- Again!

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By Deb Williams

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 16, 2008) – Tony Stewart snatched the lead with four laps remaining in Saturday's Camping World 300 at Daytona International Speedway, then successfully blocked all challengers in the final stages to become the first pole winner to claim the prelude to the Daytona 500 in 27 races.

A caution flag with eight laps remaining in the 120-lap race, set the stage for a frantic run to the finish that saw the cars racing three wide at times. When the race restarted on lap 116, Kyle Busch was leading and Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Stewart were first and second, respectively, in their Toyotas. Brian Vickers, also in a Toyota, was third. Dale Earnhardt Jr., whose Chevrolet's deck lid had to be replaced after it failed inspection earlier in the week, sat seventh.

Vickers, who eventually finished fourth, stole the lead from Busch as soon as the race returned to green-flag conditions, but maintained it for only one lap before Stewart shot back into the top position on lap 117. Meanwhile, Earnhardt Jr. swung his Chevrolet to the outside lane. With position shuffling occurring every lap, Earnhardt Jr. continued to advance on the high side. Stewart, however, was so strong with Busch on his bumper that no one could touch him.

“It was fast,” Stewart said about his Toyota that allowed him to lead three times for 46 laps. “This thing had so much speed. This Toyota was unreal. We needed to be up front there at the end. When we got the lead before the last pit stop we were just a little bit on the free side, but we were a little tight behind Kyle.

“After that run, I got him [Busch] sighted up a little bit and thought we might get out first (after the last pit stop) and we got back third, but I couldn't stay behind Kyle. I got such a big run into (turn) one. I was a lot tighter in (turns) one and two than in (turns) three and four. I went in there, pushed up off the bottom and it left Kyle by himself there. The guys got a run on the bottom of us and when that top line came, it actually made my car travel better. I probably just needed to move up all along.

“I think Kyle's car handled better than ours did, but we had a car that would go in a straight line, for sure. We [Kyle and I] were working with each other the whole race. That's something we learned from the Hendrick guys. I think Kyle and I could have stayed up front all day if we'd had to, no matter how many guys challenged. They could get by us for a little bit, but I don't think they were going to stay ahead of us for the whole race.”

There were 16 lead changes among eight drivers in the event that was slowed by four caution flags for 12 laps. Stewart, who has now won the Camping World 300 three of the last four years, averaged 154.154 mph in gaining his third career Nationwide Series victory and his 12th overall race win at the 2.5-mile track.

Busch said there was so much going on in the closing laps that he didn't remember what he did in his Toyota.

“There was a lot of bumping and bagging, being sideways through the trioval, through the corner, every which way,” said Busch, who led five times for 47 laps. “On the long run, it was the dominant car. We could lead every single lap on old tires, wide open. So it was definitely a pretty cool piece to drive here today.”

Busch, who finished second in Friday night's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, said the team cut up his car from the windshield forward to make it more like Stewart's after Stewart's team returned from January's Daytona test.

“He (Stewart) helped me out so much today,” Busch continued. “Keeping me up there, keeping me in the lead, getting me back to the front when we lost it sometimes. We worked really, really well together.”

Overall, the two JGR drivers led 93 laps in the 120-lap race. Stewart's win was the first for JGR and Toyota in the Nationwide Series at Daytona

Earnhardt Jr., who had to settle for third, admitted the high line was his best shot at victory.

“I had good help from Matt Kenseth,” Earnhardt Jr. added. “I knew I couldn't win the race on the bottom. The car liked that raw grip when I got behind, from fourth on back. It was fun. We did what we had to do; we got a great finish. We'd like to have won, but those two guys [Stewart and Busch] worked well together.”

The Nationwide Series moves to California Speedway next week for a Saturday race that begins at 7:30 p.m. EST.

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