Tony Stewart Wins The Nationwide Series Race In Daytona
Tony Stewart won the Nationwide race Saturday at Daytona International Speedway. Stewart drove the #80 Chevy owned by Hendrick Motorsports.
The car was sponsored by Hendrick.com, which is the company that Rick Hendrick operates his automobile dealerships under.
The #80 comes from the number of dealerships that Hendrick owns. Stewart said during a post race interview that Mr. Hendrick had almost one hundred million dollars of inventory. That’s a lot of cars, no matter how you count them. Tony fulfilled two of Mr. Hendricks’ wishes; first by winning the race, and secondly by bringing the car home without wrecking it. The car is to be taken around to the different dealerships to be displayed.
As always all races at Daytonas’ super speedway is an exciting affair and this was no exception. Amazingly, Stewart won the race mere hours after he and teammate Ryan Newman wrecked their Daytona 500 cars in the final practice for the 500. Ryan Newman blew one of his Good Year racing tires and Tony Stewart plowed into the side of him. Their cars were heavily damaged. Both drivers must go to back up cars and move to the back of the field for the start of the race.
The two Indiana natives will be fun to watch as they attempt to move through the field. Of course Newman won the Daytona 500 last year, but Stewart has never won the 500. It would be great for the sport if the first year team owner could pull off a win. He has won the July race, the Bud Shootout, and Nationwide races, but the crown jewel of auto racing has eluded him so far.
Finishing behind Tony Stewart in second was Carl Edwards, closely followed by Clint Bowyer, then Kyle Busch in fourth. These drivers in the front of the pack prove that stick car racing is no longer a southern sport. Stewart is originally from Indiana where he was an open wheel champion. Edwards is from Missouri. Clint Bower, a dirt racing superstar hails from Kansas. Kyle Busch is from Las Vegas Nevada.
Now we’re down to five hundred miles left in the 2009 Speed Weeks extravaganza in Daytona. Sunday afternoon Martin Truex Jr. and Mark Martin will lead the field to the green flag as the fifty first running of the Daytona 500 gets underway.
