steveo21 Posted July 3, 2005 Share Posted July 3, 2005 After a two-and-half-hour rain delay, the 47th running of the Pepsi 400 started under both the green and yellow flags to dry the track for 11 laps before NASCAR turned the 43 drivers loose, and Roush Racing probably wishes it hadn't started at all. But Tony Stewart was able to finish the job he started during the Daytona 500. Stewart led the most laps (107) in the Daytona 500 but finished seventh. On Saturday, Stewart led 151 of 160 laps and closed the deal for his first restrictor-plate and his second consecutive win after taking the checkered flag a week ago at Sonoma. Check out Stewart's official site at TonyStewart.com NASCARTV on SPEED: Chicagoland Fri., July 8: Cup qualifying, 4 p.m. ET Sat., July 9: Cup Happy Hour, Noon ET Photo Gallery... Stewart weathers wrecks Also... # Race Trax | Results | Standings # TonyStewart.com | Stewart Q&A # Riding with Junior: Daytona # Wreck ends Martin's last Daytona race # Martin, Wallace honored among stars Analysis... BEHRENDT: Making their Points Stewart led all but one of the first 103 laps, but Elliott Sadler and Dale Jarrett pitted just as the sixth caution came out and before the rest of the lead lap cars so they took the lead on the sixth restart. Stewart stormed back to the front by lap 110, and for the second consecutive Daytona race, Stewart has led the most laps. He gave up the lead to Kasey Kahne under the eighth caution when the 9 car took two tires while Stewart took four. Speaking of four, Stewart took the lead back with 15 laps to go, making a four-wide pass going into Turn 4 two laps after the eighth restart. On lap 35, Jeff Gordon made his move to pit road in front of Jamie McMurray who moved up the track which moved Scott Riggs into Mark Martin, starting a nine-car wreck on the frontstretch and ending Martin's 41st and final shot at winning a Daytona points race. The night also ended for Roush driver Kurt Busch. And points leader Greg Biffle, another Roush racer, was sent to the garage after Michael Waltrip blew a tire and brought out the fifth caution. Jeremy Mayfield felt a bad vibration at lap 24 and came in to get four fresh tires, but he stalled his car and lost a lap under green. Brian Vickers also made an unscheduled early stop, but he got the free pass back onto the lead lap with the second caution. Elliott Sadler lost a lap when he ran out of fuel during the second caution, but he got the free pass during the third caution. And Mayfield got the free pass during the fourth caution. Tony Stewart, driver of the #20 Home Depot Chevrolet, won Saturday night's Pepsi 400 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway from the pole. "It was just an awesome night — Zippy and all the guys on the Home Depot team — and I'll be honest, I didn't win this race," Stewart said. "That car won the race. It was like Herbie the Love Bug all of the sudden. It knew exactly where it needed to go when it needed to go. We got the right pushes at the right time when we were in traffic, and we were able to get by and get back in the lead. And once we got in the lead, the car drove so good that it was just one of those cars that was unstoppable tonight." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinthePRF Posted July 3, 2005 Share Posted July 3, 2005 Joe, while your down there in Florida how about snatching Taylor by the earring and dragging him back up to Washington. Anyway great for Stewart, he's had a rough time since Joe Gibbs has been having to devote time elsewhere. I've been told Joe Gibbs racing as a whole really has gone downhill since his time is now divided and that's why the team has been struggling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJWatson3 Posted July 3, 2005 Share Posted July 3, 2005 Stewart raced a beauty and his car was the best all day long. i was stoked to see the race delayed so long. gave me something to watch late-night. anybody see him climb over the fence and "salute" the fans? it was great. when they interviewed him in the winner's circle he said it was a lot harder to climb than he expected and that he was too fat to be doing stuff like that! LMAO! a humble guy, a real racer-- any car and track. JGR all the way! edit: that 4-wide pass to take the lead for good was sweet. you could see how much better his car was running. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qb18_200400 Posted July 4, 2005 Share Posted July 4, 2005 what a race man!!!! there was no way anyone was gunna catch him, 151 laps of 160 he led. I was never nervous during the race cause whenever someone caught up, he would then build another lead, and then when he pitted and was outta first, he was right back in there within 2 laps!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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