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VIDEO REPORT: Food City 500
Mar 19, 2008http://www.tricitiesblogs.com/video/watch/food_city_500_race/
Big Orange and Lap 498
Mar 16, 2008Tony Stewart drove the Car of Tomorrow around Bristol Motor Speedway on Goodyear tires.
Stewart survived.
But the controversy that followed Stewart into BMS eventually found him on the track.
This time, though, the drama had nothing to do with Goodyear or its tires.
It had to do with racing.
Good, old-fashioned, hard-nosed racing.
Stewart led 267 of the 506 laps run Sunday afternoon in the Food City 500, but his hard charge ended when Kevin Harvick ran low on Turn 2 of lap 498.
As Stewart stayed high, Harvick’s No. 29 Chevrolet knocked into the left side of Stewart’s No. 20 Toyota.
Harvick kept driving, Stewart spun out, and the man who came into Bristol talking up a storm had little to say when he hopped out of his car following the race.
“I thought I left [Harvick] plenty of room, but I don’t know,” said Stewart, who finished 14th, and now sits in seventh place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. “I was far enough ahead of him that I didn’t see where he hit me or when he hit me. I’m sure somehow it was my fault. I’m just sorry I got in his way.”
As soon as Stewart went into a spin, his day was effectively over.
Still, Stewart dominated Bristol Motor Speedway more than any other driver Sunday.
His first lead came on lap 96.
And Stewart owned BMS between laps 102-189, running slim lines and burning his way through lapped traffic, as he used the high and low sections of Turns 2 and 3 to his advantage.
Denny Hamlin grabbed a momentary lead on lap 190.
But by lap 193, Stewart again held first position.
Stewart possessed six separate leads Sunday, his last an 82-lap hold on first place from 415-496.
And where other top drivers like Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Ryan Newman fell prey to the out-of-nowhere oddities that make BMS a perennial fan-favorite, Stewart managed to keep his No. 20 Toyota in the clear.
Until lap 498.
Stewart’s frustrating ending mirrored his performance in last year’s Sharpie 500 – he led 257 laps before finishing 35th.
But a different outcome appeared to await Stewart Sunday.
After starting in sixth, Stewart’s bright-orange No. 20 began shining bright by lap 36, when he pulled into fourth place.
Stewart then flew past Jeff Gordon on lap 42, going low at Turn 2 to take over third position.
And Stewart began to close on then-leader Bowyer at lap 47.
As Bowyer fought traffic and tried to get around Ryan Newman’s No. 12 Dodge, Stewart gained ground.
Only a pre-race determined competition yellow at lap 50 prevented Stewart from overtaking Bowyer.
But Stewart began his charge again. And by lap 94, the track belonged to Big Orange.
But Turn 2 at lap 498 was waiting.
Posted by Brian T. Smith Darn Good Racin’
Mar 16, 2008While one of my colleagues would disagree, today’s Food City 500 has been excellent from the start to lap 378 (which is where we’re at as of right now).
Hard racing. Meaningful lead changes. And impressive performances from Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, Greg Biffle and Jeff Burton.
Add in good weather and enough spin outs to keep crash-happy fans happy, and it looks like a keeper.
Stewart, Hamlin and Bowyer
Mar 16, 2008Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin and Clint Bowyer own BMS through 234 laps.
Hamlin made air pressure and chassis adjustments following a caution from laps 190-97, and he overtook Stewart’s No. 20 Toyota shortly thereafter.
Fans Honor DJ
Mar 16, 2008Between Turn 2 and Turn 3.
Looked great.
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