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Stewart's pit strategy wins Nationwide race

Sat 28th, June 2008

Loudon, NH (Sports Network) - Tony Stewart took just two tires on his final stop to get the lead and held off his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch for the win in Saturday afternoon's Camping World 200 at the New Hampshire International Speedway. The No.20 Toyota driver crossed the finish line just ahead of Hamlin after a caution flag slowed the field.

The victory was Stewart's fifth of the season and seventh of his Nationwide Series career.

A caution flag for debris on lap 128 sent all the leaders down pit road for the final time. Edwards used a fuel-only stop to beat the field off pit lane. Greg Biffle (no tires) came out second and Stewart (two tires) third. Reutimann, who was in the lead took four tires, was 10th off pit road after a 15.5-second stop.

Stewart's strategy looked to be the best of the leaders as he quickly slid around Biffle for second. He caught Edwards on lap 135 and turned underneath him for the lead.

Now the only question was whether Stewart could hold off the drivers who took four tires.

Busch was ninth on the restart, but took four tires and quickly charged up the charts. He was third with 57 laps remaining, but still two seconds back. Reutimann was a little slower working his way through the field and was only up to seventh.

Stewart was maintaining almost a one-second lead on Hamlin, but Busch was slowly closing on both leaders. Busch got to the back of Hamlin's bumper, but was having trouble getting around him with lapped traffic getting in the way.

With 20 laps remaining, Busch's advantage seemed to go away and he could only maintain his position. Stewart now only had to hold off Hamlin to win for the fifth time this season. Ten laps to go and the gap was 0.764 seconds, Hamlin was slightly faster, but still not close enough to put any real pressure on Stewart.

Seven laps to go and the margin was 0.472 seconds. Hamlin was there, but could he get around Stewart?

He could not. Stewart held off Hamlin for the win. He is the 22nd different winner in as many Nationwide Series races at Loudon.

Though Landon Cassill won the pole earlier in the morning, Greg Biffle brought the field to the green flag for 200 laps of racing because Cassill made a pre- race engine change.

Biffle only led into Turn 1 when he got loose and Clint Bowyer charged around the outside to lead the first lap. Bowyer lasted until lap 10 when Busch slid underneath him for the lead. The No.2 retook the lead on lap 18 getting around Busch. Stewart followed Bowyer through the opening to grab second.

Stewart and Bowyer exchanged the lead a couple of times as the field approached lap 40. Meanwhile, Cassill was slicing his way back through the field and up to 16th.

Finally, Bowyer began to take control, moving out to a two-second lead at lap 45. Then on lap 47 Bowyer's lead evaporated in an instant when Cassill was sent flying into the outside wall after contact from Bobby Hamilton Jr. to bring out a caution flag.

On the restart, Busch got around Bowyer to take the lead and built the margin to 2.217 seconds on lap 75. Busch maintained the lead while Bowyer, Stewart and David Reutimann took turns in second place. But no one could catch the No.18 Toyota.

Reutimann began to eat into the lead and by lap 95 was within two lengths of Busch. At the halfway point, Busch held just a 0.630-second lead on Reutimann.

On lap 109, Reutimann finally got around Busch for the lead, but Busch wouldn't let him get away. Bowyer was also within one second, but Stewart had fallen more than three seconds off the pace.

That's when a timely caution flag set up the final pit stops. Stewart's crew chief Dave Rogers was planning a four-tire stop, but "audibled" at the last second choosing to go with just two tire. The strategy put Stewart out front, and he never gave up the lead.

It was Stewart fifth win in just seven starts this season in the Nationwide Series.

Busch, Kevin Harvick and Carl Edwards completed the top-five.

Bowyer finished ninth and will take a 182-point lead over Reutimann to the next event scheduled for Friday night, July 4th at the Daytona International Speedway.

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