Stewart Still Daytona 500-less
Stewart Still Daytona 500-less

The Daytona 500 history book is safe for another year.  There will be no Tony Stewart entry in the winners’ list just yet.

He’s not winless overall at Daytona —he did win the 2005 Coke Zero 400.  And, he’s won four NASCAR Nationwide Series races at the historic track, including Saturday’s Camping World 300.  But, wait, he was driving a car owned by someone else.  Hmmmmmm.

The NASCAR season opening events at Daytona International Speedway held some success for the driver of the new No. 14 Office Depot Chevrolet.  He qualified 10th on the Sunday preceding the big events (that’s six positions behind Juan Pablo Montoya), then finished second behind Jeff Gordon in the first Gatorade Duel.  But, was it Dale Earnhardt who said that finishing second only makes you the first loser? 

When the green flag waved in “The Great American Race,” Stewart started 14th.  After leading laps 54-68, he made a few charges, but was unable to regain the top spot.  When rain ended the event on lap 152, Stewart sat in eighth.

Of course, the caveat, fans will say, is that he was driving a back-up car — the one he’d driven to a third-place finish in the Budweiser Shootout.  This came about because he and teammate Ryan Newman crashed during practice Saturday.  And, that was all Goodyear’s fault.  A cut tire on Newman’s car sent him spinning, and he caught Stewart on the way.  The mishap left the Stewart-Haas Racing tandem both in back-up cars.

In the end, Speedweeks wasn’t a total wash for Stewart.  He did get to spend some time with his hero and good friend A.J. Foyt.

And, in case you are keeping score, Montoya started eighth and finished 14th.  Maybe Juan and Tony planned that.
Posted: 2/16/2009 9:42:09 AM
Comments:
Any reference betwen Tony and Montoya is assinign.
Posted On: 2/17/2009 10:36:25 AM

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