Stewart Dominates Daytona

The Pepsi 400 in Daytona was race number 17 of the 36 race schedule and the third of the four annual restrictor plate races. Daytona International Speedway features door-to-door and nose-to-tail racing all night long and multi-car accidents are common. Unfortunately this one was no different.

Qualifying

Chevy dominated the top five qualifying spots and ten of the top twelve. Tony Stewart was fastest with Scott Riggs, Jimmie Johnson, Boris Said and Joe Nemechek rounding out the top five. Elliott Sadler was the top Ford with his sixth place starting spot.

Drop The Green Flag

Mother nature delayed the start of the race by 2 1/2 hours. It was after 10:30 PM before the green flag flew. When it did fly the green and yellow flew at the same time because track crews were finishing up the drying process. The real green flag didn't come out until 11PM when the drivers were on lap 11.

When racing began Tony Stewart lead the inside line to the front as Jimmie Johnson stayed in line with him. Those two drivers lead the race patiently for the early going.

There was some confusion between the drivers as green flag stops began. Scott Riggs didn't get the message that drivers in front of him were pitting. When he swerved up to miss a slowing car he crowded Mark Martin up into the wall. This triggered a wreck that involved Martin, Riggs, Kurt Busch, Casey Mears, Bobby Labonte, Matt Kenseth and many, many others had damage too.

After everybody pitted and they returned to racing Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson were still leading the train. The lead stayed like that for the first 103 laps of the 160 lap race.

Storylines

This was a race of survival. Point leader Greg Biffle was involved in an incident caused by Michael Waltrip's flat tire. Other drivers in the top ten in points who had problems include Mark Martin and Kurt Busch who were involved in the first crash and Carl Edwards from the last wreck.

The rest of the big news was just how badly Tony Stewart stunk up the show. This was a dominating performance. When he got shuffled back a few spots after pit stops he made the moves by himself to retake the lead in just 2 laps. Clearly he had them covered.

Chasing The Checkers

They took the green for the final time with nine laps to go. Tony Stewart was out front with Jamie McMurray, Kasey Kahne, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. rounding out the top five.

Kahne was on old tires and got shuffled out but the rest of the top five stayed to fight it out among themselves. Nobody had anything for Tony who ended up leading all but ten laps of the race.

Top Ten

1. Tony Stewart
2. Jamie McMurray
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr
4. Rusty Wallace
5. Dale Jarrett
6. Jimmie Johnson
7. Jeff Gordon
8. Mike Wallace
9. Matt Kenseth
10. Kenny Schrader

The Points

Greg Biffle's troubles means that he only leads the points for one week. Jimmie Johnson has regained the points lead. Carl Edwards dropped out of the top ten and Dale Jarrett breaks into the top ten as he is now tied for ninth in points. Just four points separate ninth from twelfth. This is shaping up to be a battle.

1. Jimmie Johnson 0
2. Greg Biffle -73
3. Tony Stewart -136
4. Elliott Sadler -200
5. Rusty Wallace -205
6. Ryan Newman -263
7. Jamie McMurray -285
8. Mark Martin -310
9. Kurt Busch -348
10. Dale Jarrett -348

Next Week

Next week the NEXTEL Cup teams head to Joliet Illinois to race at Chicagoland Speedway. This 1.5 mile 'D' has been on the schedule since Kevin Harvick claimed the first NEXTEL Cup race there in 2001. Not a marquee event on the schedule but still important for teams battling to get into the top ten.