Celebration too much for Stewart’s car
Tony Stewart climbed the fence, grabbed the checkered flag and then had to walk to Victory Lane after the second round of the International Race of Champions at Fort Worth, Texas
When Stewart crossed the finish line Friday night and spun out the tires to celebrate winning his third career IROC race – and his first victory of any kind at Texas Motor Speedway – something broke on the car.
“It’s just parked, dead in the water right now,” Stewart said. “It’s all right. I don’t mind walking.”
Stewart had been in 13 different races on the 11/2-mile, high-banked Texas track, including NASCAR Nextel Cup and Busch, and the Indy Racing League. His other IROC victories were at Michigan in 2001 and Daytona in 2002.
Fellow Nextel Cup drivers Ryan Newman, Martin Truex Jr., Mark Martin and Matt Kenseth finished second through fifth in the 67-lap, 100-mile race. Max Angelelli, a Grand American road racer, was sixth.
Kahne captures pole
Kasey Kahne hopes his second Nextel Cup pole of the season translates into another trip to Victory Lane.
Kahne qualified first for Sunday’s Samsung/RadioShack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway with a fast lap of 190.315 mph. The Dodge driver’s other pole this year came last month at Atlanta, a similar 11/2-mile track where he also won the race.
. Mark Martin, second in the standings, qualified his Ford third at 189.029 mph. Points leader Jimmie Johnson will start 16th.
Yeley’s best qualifying run in 13 career starts nearly didn’t happen. He got on the track with about 15 seconds to spare after needed technical adjustments following a pre-qualifying inspection. It’s his third top-10 start this year.
Smaller fuel tanks at Lowe’s
Nextel Cup cars will use smaller fuel tanks at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in May, a move to create shorter runs between pit stops and tire changes.
Officials at the Charlotte track spent $3 million this winter to repave the surface, which was too slick last year after it underwent two grinding projects to smooth out bumps.
Then, during a tire test last week, a flat tire caused points leader Jimmie Johnson to wreck, sending Goodyear officials searching to find the right rubber to use on the freshly paved surface.
Goodyear had a successful second test this week.
NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said the decision to use 14-gallon tanks at Lowe’s rather than the normal 22-gallon tanks “is more of a precaution” than anything else. It’s similar to what NASCAR has done at Daytona and Talladega.
A smaller fuel tank means cars will have to pit more often for gas, preventing long runs that would put stress on the tires.
Martin a surprise in second
Mark Martin wasn’t supposed to be in Nextel Cup racing this season.
But asked to come back for another season with Roush Racing after some other unexpected driver shuffling, the 47-year-old already has four top-10 finishes and is second in the standings.
“Well, it’s a lot harder work when you get my age to get it done. But we’re working real hard to get it done, and I’m having the time of my life,” Martin said. “As of right now, this is the best it’s ever been.”
Martin, in NASCAR’s top series since 1981, has 35 victories and has finished second in the season standings four times.
Pit stops
STP products and Petty Enterprises announced a renewal of the product’s long-running primary sponsorship of the blue No. 43 car after six years. The two have a history together spanning more than 30 years. … Lowe’s announced that points leader Jimmie Johnson‘s Chevrolet will feature a black-and-white Shamu paint scheme at Daytona on July 1.