Orbitz 300 Race Recap
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Tony Stewart and the Old Spice team persevered though a lengthy race with a loose handling race car to bring the No. 33 Old Spice Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS home in the eighth position Saturday at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. For Stewart, the finish snaps a two race win streak in the season opening Busch Series event.
Starting 38th in the 43-car field, Stewart knew it would take a lot of work to get the No. 33 Old Spice Chevy to the front. Once the green flag waved, Stewart began to pass cars each and every lap, before settling into the 14th position on lap 25. Five laps later, Stewart radioed to the crew explaining that the car was really loose on the 2.5 mile tri-oval. “We will make a track bar adjustment to get you better,†said crew chief Dan Stillman atop the Old Spice pit box. When the caution flag waved on lap 63 for debris on the backstretch, the crew called Stewart onto pit road for a trackbar adjustment, four tires and fuel. This is exactly what the Old Spice team was looking for to get back into contention. Once the green flag waved on lap 69, Stewart was on the move. On lap 81of a scheduled 120, Stewart found himself racing inside the top-15 in the 12th position.
Getting the word from Stillman over the radio that they were set on fuel to the end, Stewart had his sights set on getting to the front of the field. After fighting a loose race car all day, Stewart got the help he needed from his pit crew on the last stop by tightening the car up and getting him back out for a chance at a third straight season opening win. Over the next 20 laps, Stewart got drafting help from NEXTEL Cup Series regulars Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Matt Kenseth to catch the lead drafting pack.
Over the final 10 laps, Stewart worked his was into the top-10 racing on the low line of a 12 car group. The No. 33 Old Spice Monte Carlo SS proved it is always a competitor when it is on the track. Stewart worked his way to the seventh position with four laps to go before falling one position and crossing the finish line in eighth.
“We were really loose all day, but the guys in the pits did a great job. We went two rounds in the left rear, one in the right rear and down three rounds in the trackbar, but that is what we had to do to be competitive,†said Tony Stewart after a third straight top-10 finish in the season opener.
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