Stewart Records Fourth-Place Finish in Busch Race at ‘The Magic Mile’
by Josh Jones, Kevin Harvick Inc.
LOUDON, N.H. — In only his second ever NASCAR Busch Series start at the New Hampshire International Speedway, Tony Stewart had a car that would keep him near the front of the 43-car field all day. Stewart qualified the No. 33 Old Spice Chevrolet in the 10th position, with a time of 29.766 seconds at 127.958 mph around the 1.058-mile track. Stewart, with the help from his pit crew, was able to contend for the win, before crossing the finish line in the fourth position. With another great run, Stewart was able to keep the No. 33 Kevin Harvick Inc. Chevrolet in contention for the 2007 NASCAR Busch Series Owner point Championship. The team currently sits in the fifth position, only 87 points behind the fourth-place car owner Richard Childress and the No. 21 Chevrolet.
At the drop of the green flag, Stewart quickly worked the candy apple red machine towards the front of the field. When the first of six caution flags flew on lap 15, Stewart had already moved into the seventh spot. “The car is a little too tight,” radioed Stewart during the caution.
With the leaders not coming to pit road, crew chief Dan Stillman radioed Stewart to stay out and keep track position. Once the green flag waved on lap 20, the Old Spice Chevrolet was on the move again, picking up two positions and settling into the fifth spot. Stewart, who was still fighting a tight-handling race car, got what he was looking for on lap 36, when David Gilliland and Kelly Bires tangled in turn two, bringing out the second caution of the day. Still needing to free up the car, crew chief Dan Stillman summoned Stewart down pit road for a track-bar adjustment, four tires and fuel. The Old Spice pit crew did an outstanding job in the pits, returning the No. 33 machine to the track in the 11th position for the restart. With many teams only taking two tires and some not coming to pit road at all, Stewart knew he had to work patiently to get back to the front of the field.
From the restart, Stewart wasted little time pushing the Old Spice Chevrolet back into the top-10. With track position at a premium and passing a difficult task at the magic mile, it looked as though Stewart was poised for another strong run.
Over the next 50 laps, Stewart became a mainstay in the top five after securing the fifth spot on lap 55. Looking for more positions, Stewart drove the inside line around the track until he could pass Matt Kenseth for the fourth position. “The car is really good right now, but still a little tight in the center,” radioed Stewart. The caution flag waved once again on lap 87 allowing the leaders to pit. Stewart brought the No. 33 Chevrolet down pit road for a small air pressure adjustment, four tires and fuel.
The adjustments and results continued to be positive as Stewart maintained the fourth position at the mid-point of the race. Over the next 15 laps, Stewart drove around the track like each lap was his last. Before long, Stewart found himself racing in the second position and looking to gain on the leader. The No. 33 Chevrolet cruised around the track in the second spot, before handling problems arose on lap 130, causing Stewart to lose a few spots. “The car is just too tight in the center of the turns,” said Stewart as he battled Juan Pablo Montoya for the fifth position.
The sixth and final caution flag waved on lap 164, allowing crew chief Dan Stillman to call Stewart down pit road for an air pressure adjustment, four tires and fuel. The quick service by the Old Spice pit crew put Stewart back out on the track in the fifth position.
Nearly the entire 38,000 race fans attending the Camping World 200 came to their feet on lap 171 as the race was waved green. Stewart wasted no time with NEXTEL Cup regular Clint Bowyer for the fourth position. Over the final 20 laps Stewart pulled away from the rest of the field behind him, crossing the finish line in the fourth position behind winner and KHI team co-owner Kevin Harvick.
“Great job today guys,” said Stewart after the race. “You guys did a great job in the pits giving me the opportunity to run up front all day.”
Next up for the No. 33 KHI Chevrolet: Tony Raines will drive the No. 33 RoadLoans.com Chevrolet in the Winn-Dixie 250 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. Live coverage of the event begins Friday, July 6 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (ET) on ESPN2. The race will also be covered live on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius Satellite Radio.
Leave a Reply