Last-Lap Dramatics Bump Busch, Give Stewart Victory at Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The celebratory Fourth of July pyrotechnics going off along the backstretch following Saturday night's NASCAR race at Daytona International Speedway were nothing compared to the last-lap fireworks show minutes earlier on the frontstretch.

Two-time NASCAR champ Tony Stewart muscled his way by Kyle Busch about 100 yards before the finish line -- holding his line as Busch tried to block him. Ultimately, Stewart was able to get his nose in position for the pass. When Busch tried to stop Stewart's final push, the two cars collided and Busch's car spun out, hitting the wall and paving the way for Stewart to capture the victory.

The accident collected a half-dozen cars behind him as Stewart, Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin zipped by to the checkered flag.

Busch climbed out of his mangled Toyota, which was resting in the infield, and walked angrily down pit road toward Stewart's car, which was on its way to victory circle. Two NASCAR officials intercepted Busch, each taking one arm and physically guiding him into a NASCAR vehicle for a trip to the infield care center.

Busch refused to comment after the race but was seen and cleared by the medical staff. He finished 14th.

While in his No. 14 Burger King Chevy driving to Victory Lane, Stewart was almost apologetic, telling his crew in the radio, "That's not the way I wanted to do this, but I did all I could do.''

The finish was as predictable as it was spectacular.

Tony Stewart Photos

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - JULY 04: Tony Stewart, driver of the #14 Burger King Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 51st Annual Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 4, 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR)

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL - JULY 04: Tony Stewart, driver of the #14 Burger King Chevrolet, leads Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Office Toyota, to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 51st Annual Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 4, 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL - JULY 04: Tony Stewart, driver of the #14 Burger King Chevrolet, leads Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet, to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 51st Annual Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 4, 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL - JULY 04: Tony Stewart, driver of the #14 Burger King Chevrolet, leads Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Interstate Batteries Toyota, and Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Office Toyota, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 51st Annual Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 4, 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR)

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL - JULY 04: Tony Stewart, driver of the #14 Burger King Chevrolet, leads Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Interstate Battereis Toyota, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 51st Annual Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 4, 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR)

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL - JULY 04: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Office Toyota, leads Tony Stewart, driver of the #14 Burger King Chevrolet, Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Interstate Batteries Toyota, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 51st Annual Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 4, 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL - JULY 04: Tony Stewart, driver of the #14 Burger King Chevrolet, leads Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Interstate Batteries Toyota, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 51st Annual Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 4, 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL - JULY 04: Tony Stewart, driver of the #14 Burger King Chevrolet, leads Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Interstate Batteries Toyota, Matt Kenseth, driver of the #17 R&L Carriers Ford, and Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 51st Annual Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 4, 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL - JULY 04: Tony Stewart, driver of the #14 Burger King Chevrolet, leads Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Interstate Batteries Toyota, and the field during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 51st Annual Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 4, 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

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It is what we've come to expect in restrictor-plate racing here, and at the series' other restrictor-plate track in Talladega, Ala. where a similar bump and go at the checkered flag sent a car flying into catch fence this past April.

It's the nature of the beast -- close-quarter, pack racing.

"I just saw two guys seeing the checkered flag in front of them, that's all that happened,'' said third-place finisher Hamlin, who was just behind the collision.

Race runner-up Johnson agreed.

"It's just (restrictor) plate racing and we're damned if we do and damned if we don't,'' Johnson said. "Tony didn't mean to dump him. They were racing. It's restrictor-plate racing.''

Even Busch's own crew chief Steve Addington conceded, "I can't say anything. ... I'm not pointing any fingers at Tony. He was trying to win the race, Kyle was trying to block him for the win and we got turned around.''

Unlike at Talladega, where eight fans suffered minor injuries from flying debris off Carl Edwards' airborne car, the hardest hit Saturday was to pride.

Stewart and Busch were teammates at Joe Gibbs Racing last year and even worked together on the restarts throughout Saturday's race. And it probably didn't help Stewart's conscience any when the crowd cheered as Busch's car was driven away on a flatbed tow truck. Busch is the series' newly designated black hat, Stewart the former.

"You don't want a race decided like that,'' said Stewart, who picked up his second victory for his new namesake team, Stewart-Haas Racing and now leads the championship by a comfortable 180 points over Jeff Gordon. "I know it takes a lot of work to get a car to the race track. And maybe I don't feel as much gratification for winning this race as I should.

"I don't want any part of winning a race because the guy leading wrecked. But I don't know that we did anything wrong.''

Certainly few people other than Busch, his family, girlfriend and fan club would argue with that. Few doubt that Busch would have tried the same thing if the situation had been reversed. But here was Stewart, NASCAR's one-time tough guy, lamenting a victory that everyone else felt he deserved.

"Even if it was 100 percent his fault, I still don't feel good about it,'' Stewart said. "Maybe I am being hard on myself, I just don't like the way it ended up.

"But it's a product of the environment. He did what he had to do and I did what I had to do.''

Stewart will keep the trophy, the paycheck and the championship points. And maybe Sunday morning he'll wake up and give himself some credit and a break. He led a race-high 86 of the 160 laps and his pit crew put him out first in line after all seven pit stops.

Stewart also said he planned to get in touch with Busch this week so the former teammates can speak and move on.

"It's important to talk to him,'' Stewart said in a soft, reflective tone. "His opinion matters to me.''

Latest NASCAR Images

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - JULY 04: Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 DuPont Chevrolet, pits during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 51st Annual Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 4, 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jeff Gordon

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL - JULY 04: Dale Earnhardt Jr, driver of the #88 National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet, speaks to the media in the garage after wrecking his car during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 51st Annual Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 4, 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Dale Earnhardt Jr

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL - JULY 04: Kasey Kahne, driver of the #9 Budweiser Dodge, pits during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 51st Annual Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 4, 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Kasey Kahne

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A fireworks display is seen over the infield of the speedway after the NASCAR Coke Zero 400 auto race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Saturday, July 4, 2009.(AP Photo/Glenn Smith)

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - JULY 04: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet, pits during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 51st Annual Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 4, 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL - JULY 04: A general view of the American Flag stretched across the tri-oval prior to the start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 51st Annual Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 4, 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL - JULY 04: Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 DuPont Chevrolet, pits during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 51st Annual Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 4, 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jeff Gordon

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL - JULY 04: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Interstate Batteries Toyota, leads Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 51st Annual Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 4, 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Kyle Busch;Jimmie Johnson

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL - JULY 04: Dale Earnhardt Jr, driver of the #88 National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet, drives to pit road after colliding with carsduring the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 51st Annual Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 4, 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Dale Earnhardt Jr

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL - JULY 04: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Office Toyota, pits during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 51st Annual Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 4, 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Denny Hamlin

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In his post-race press conference, the formerly volatile Stewart readily acknowledged this kinder, gentler version of himself was perhaps a product of maturity and team ownership.

"I don't want to disappoint you guys that much, I want to try to help out with as many good articles as I can,'' Stewart sarcastically joked with reporters who suggested he had mellowed.

"I don't know, the last couple years it just seems like we pick our battles a little differently. I think honestly, owning a race track and owning race teams has been a really big part of helping me understand the big picture. ... it was probably inevitable.

"I still enjoy the same things, I just don't get as riled up. ... Now with that hopefully you guys will let me put the past behind me. I'm enjoying my new role.

"I've still got the same passions and dreams and desires, maybe there's just not the low sides that go with it anymore. It's kind of neat to be in that position.''

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 13)

7-05-2009 @ 2:06AM

Snoopy said...

Glad AOL took to other article off, the one blaming Tony for taking Busch out. Busch took himslef out. Hey, Kyle, you're playing with the big boys now. They won't take it off of you. They eat kids like you for breakfast.
Tony, you drove a great race. Never thought I'd ever catch myself rooting for you. I sure like the new you better than the old you. You're really good looking when you smile (Joey isn't my real name, I'm female). Hope to see you smile a lot more. Don't beat yourself up over Kyle's blocking you. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy!!! Sure hate all the other cars got caught up in his stupidity.
Kyle, hope you leard something from this race.

7-05-2009 @ 8:30AM

Lance said...

you're damn right kyle busch just got back some of the crap he has been dishing over the last couple of years tony did nothing wrong busch tried blocking him a second time and he paid for his own stupidity,tony reminds me of the man who drove the black #3,if that car would have been blacl with a 3 on it yesterday you would have thought the man was back way to go tony damn nice job

7-05-2009 @ 8:43AM

shemp923 said...

this is the second week now kyle has caused a wreck. i am only happy that he caused his own this week. he needs to chill!!

7-05-2009 @ 12:17PM

robbo6401 said...

nascar sucks boring non racing there is ,, watch some motogp or wsb real racers and hardcore tough

7-05-2009 @ 1:33PM

ptball1 said...

you should take and english class first and then a reality class tally stewart is an ernhardt clone and has carte blanche whit the rule and cheating Thanks for the rant

7-05-2009 @ 4:55PM

rdean190 said...

Kyle Busch is the best driver on the track, he just so happened to take himself out this time. He's definately no Dale Jr. and that's a good thing.

7-05-2009 @ 10:51AM

OINKJOHNSON2 said...

Tony Stewart had it right--you don't want to win a race by wrecking the guy in front. I can't blame either Kyle or Tony. They were both racing hard for the win, and had two of the best four cars all night (Hamlin and Johnson having the other two). But when will NASCAR ever learn that restrictor racing is boring for long stretches and terrifying when multiple car accidents happen? A race can be just as exciting at 170 to 180 mph as at 212 mph, so slowing them down was probably a good thing. They just went at it in the wrong way. A much more sensible solution would have been (and still is) to simply reduce the displacement to something around 300 cid.

7-05-2009 @ 3:57AM

mike said...

tony acts grownup.....maybe he may be the heir to no. 3.......

7-05-2009 @ 4:49AM

nzcr14 said...

hey SNOOP,aol did not cancel the file you saying.it's here; just look on your post top right in the most commented files, right on top of RECENT COMMENTS AREA.

7-05-2009 @ 6:04AM

obamaizamarxist said...

Sorry Kyle, that only works for Kasey Kahne..

7-05-2009 @ 6:25AM

Bill said...

Restrictor plate or not, Busch knew what exactly what he was doing and exactly what would happen. Tony put the nose of the car in a position to pass and Busch spun his own butt out trying to block. Given a reversal of positions, Busch would have danced on Tony's rear deck lid and laughed all the way to the finish line. What was it someone said recently about Busch--'stupid lasts forever'!

7-05-2009 @ 6:35AM

Sharon said...

Busch is such a whiner!!!! Everything that happens to him is always "somebody elses fault!!
What a baby!!!!

7-05-2009 @ 6:37AM

djsfb84 said...

thats what kyle gets. hell dale sr. use to be the best at moving folks out the way.. kyle is pissed cause he screwed up and cause the whole wreck... any replay, any angle can tell that tony held is line and kyle ran up on him.. go celebrate TONY and good luck rest of year..

7-05-2009 @ 6:47AM

papachuck63 said...

Nice job Tony! Kyle knew that he screwed up so what could he say?

7-05-2009 @ 7:03AM

goodwench3 said...

Kyle Busch tried to block, he got spun out. Tony merely held his line. DO NOT THINK that if the roles were reversed Tony would have been the one spinning out and Kyle would have been doing that stupid signature bow I've come to hate. He can do what he wants, when he wants and he's never at fault. Let someone do it to him and he's raisin hell and crying foul. Suck it up lil boy you're in the big leagues and you have NO friends out there.

7-05-2009 @ 10:33AM

mcneas1005 said...

I haven't heard anything out of Kyle about this wreck, only the Kyle haters. It was just a racing accident and nothing more. Why are they so angry that Kyle can drive circles around Jr.?