Saturday night showcased some of the best racing NASCAR has produced yet this season. The excitement that the million dollar ten-lap shootout provided was nothing short of thrilling. Three-wide bumping and grinding for a cool million bucks with a few cars going through the spin cycle kept all fans on the edge of their proverbial seats.
Tony Stewart was able to complete a pass on Matt Kenseth with a few to go, and for the first time this year Stewart-HAAS Racing was able to put a car in victory lane. Both Stewart and teammate Ryan Newman have been close, but neither have been able to win. Both of them had a shot on Saturday evening.
Stewart was the happiest guy in North Carolina Saturday evening. He was also $1 million richer.
I flipped on my PS3 on Sunday afternoon to settle in for a race or two on NASCAR 2009. The ESPN fast fact that showed on the screen was, “Ricky Rudd was the last driver/owner to win. He won at
Stewart’s first win as an owner was also his first in his eleventh season of Cup racing that didn’t come with Joe Gibbs Racing in the #20 Home Depot car. He drenched co-owner Gene Haas after the win in victory lane and said, “He'll get used to it. [Joe] Gibbs did for 10 straight years. So he'll get over it, too.”
Haas didn't take part in the traditional climb of the fence, but he enjoyed the victory lane celebration with his driver and co-owner. It was the first race Haas had been to since he was released from prison.
I know that Stewart has been a not so friendly character to many in the media of his career, but everyone has noticed the change in “Smoke” this season. After he screwed up in qualifying for the All-Star race on Friday evening (which is confusing in itself) he joked and laughed off his mistake.
In the past Stewart may have taken his performance as a bad mistake and he would have let it weigh on him. Now, he’s taking it free and easy, and having fun with it. Sound like anybody else who has won two races this season? And speaking of Mark Martin, the first driver over to Stewart in victory lane? That’s right, none other that Mark “The Kid” Martin.
If I didn’t put it in print a few weeks back, I’m going to do it now: Tony Stewart has a legit shot at winning the Sprint Cup this season. He’ll challenge Gordon, Johnson, upstart Kurt Busch and others for the title. Stewart normally doesn’t go on a tear until July or August, so he might be serving early notice to the field: he’s ready.
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Today’s installment of the top storylines of 2009 focused on a guy in a Hendrick powered race car. Another guy who won a race in a Hendrick powered machine will be the focus of tomorrow’s article. Well, maybe not the guy who won, but what he did to win the race will be looked at heavily. Enjoy your Monday. I’ll be back tomorrow.
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