The Talladega Two-Step
Joe Gibbs Racing
Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), finished eighth in Sunday’s UAW-Ford 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. It was a disappointing result for Stewart as he led four times for 38 laps and was in contention for the win before getting shuffled out of the draft on the final lap.
Much of the 188-lap race was akin to a game of follow-the-leader, with the majority of the 43-car pack content to ride behind one another in single file. The fear of getting shuffled to the rear of the field should one step out of line, or the fear of getting caught up in “the big one” – the inevitable superspeedway accident that typically takes out a gaggle of cars – kept most everyone running nose-to-tail, lap after lap, with Stewart going along for the ride.
As a result, it was an uneventful day for two-thirds of the race. The No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet was running in top form, with only one slight track bar adjustment needed during a pit stop on lap 93. Even Stewart was quiet on the radio most of the race as he piloted his orange and black machine around the 2.66-mile high-banked oval.
By lap 99, Stewart had found his way to the lead where he stayed for the next 10 laps. He flirted with the top spot over the next 75 laps, managed to stay out of trouble and eventually led four times for a total of 38 laps. But he didn’t lead the lap that mattered most – the final lap.
With 22 laps to go, Stewart was in the lead and officially, a sitting duck. Cars that at one time were single file behind him, dropped out of line and started a charge to the front. Stewart tried to block to protect his lead, but in doing so, lost the draft and quickly got shuffled backward. By lap 175, Stewart was all the way back in seventh.
A caution on lap 176 gave everyone a chance to catch their breath and prepare for what would be an eight-lap shootout to the checkered flag.
The race restarted on lap 180 and Stewart began his push to the front. Lap after lap he maneuvered his way through the field. When the white flag flew, Stewart was in second and potentially on his way to his first Talladega victory.
But doing some maneuvering of his own was Jeff Gordon, who dropped out from behind Stewart to make his own charge to the front. As a result, Stewart lost the draft and was shuffled back through the field. When the checkered flag fell, Stewart was eighth while Gordon went on to capture the victory.
Stewart’s JGR teammates – Denny Hamlin and J.J. Yeley – finished fourth and 18th, respectively. It was Hamlin’s first top-five finish at Talladega and his best finish since the start of the 10-race Chase for the Nextel Cup three weeks ago. Yeley’s 18th-place result was his 15th top-20 of the season.
Gordon’s win in the UAW-Ford 500 was his 80th career Nextel Cup victory, his fifth this season and his sixth at Talladega. He became the sixth driver to sweep both races at Talladega in one season, joining Pete Hamilton (1970), Buddy Baker (1975), Darrell Waltrip (1982), Dale Earnhardt (1990 and 1999) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2002).
Jimmie Johnson, Dave Blaney, Hamlin and Ryan Newman rounded out the top-five. Casey Mears, Kurt Busch, Stewart, Tony Raines and Reed Sorenson comprised the remainder of the top-10.
With four races down in the 10-race Chase for the Nextel Cup, Stewart is fourth in points, 46 markers ahead of fifth-place Carl Edwards and 154 points behind new series leader Gordon.
The point standings for the entire, 12-driver Chase for the Nextel Cup heading into the Oct. 13 Bank of America 500 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway are:
1. Jeff Gordon (5,690 points, -0) 1
2. Jimmie Johnson (5,681 points, -9) -1
3. Clint Bowyer (5,627 points, -63) 0
4. Tony Stewart (5,536 points, -154) 0
5. Carl Edwards (5,490 points, -200) 2
6. Kevin Harvick (5,488 points, -202) -1
7. Kurt Busch (5,480 points, -210) 2
8. Kyle Busch (5,430 points, -260) -2
9. Denny Hamlin (5,423 points, -267) 3
10. Martin Truex Jr. (5,390 points, -300) -2
11. Matt Kenseth (5,377 points, -213) 0
12. Jeff Burton (5,359 points, -331) -2
The Bank of America 500 begins at 7:30 p.m. EDT, with live, high-definition coverage provided by ABC beginning with its pre-race show at 7 p.m.
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