“We’re actually pretty solid here,” said Stewart, who has nine top-10 finishes in 17 career Sprint Cup starts at Fontana. “The car felt good, but we’ll keep working on it tomorrow and make it better for Sunday.”

Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 Haas Automation Chevrolet Impala for SHR, qualified 18th. Newman turned a lap of 39.620 seconds at 181.726 mph.

“I guess I didn’t push it hard enough. I’ve actually overdriven the car so many times here in qualifying that this time I tried something different, and I ended up not pushing it hard enough,” said Newman, who won the second pole of his Sprint Cup career at Fontana in 2002. “We had a pole-winning or second-place car in practice today, and I feel bad because I feel like I let the guys down. We had a really good Haas Automation Chevy in race trim in practice, and I think we’ll have a really good car come Sunday.”

Last week’s Daytona 500 winner Jamie McMurray captured his fourth career pole and his first at Fontana with a time of 39.185 seconds at 183.744 mph. McMurray’s Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates teammate, Juan Pablo Montoya, will start alongside McMurray on the outside of row one, as he timed in at 39.242 seconds at 183.477 mph. Clint Bowyer (39.317 seconds at 183.127 mph) was third, while Kasey Kahne (39.363 seconds at 182.913 mph) and Dave Blaney (39.364 seconds at 182.908 mph) rounded out the top-five.

Forty-six drivers attempted to qualify for the Auto Club 500. Those not making the cut in the 43-car field were Casey Mears, Johnny Sauter and Terry Cook.

Chevrolet swept the top-three spots thanks to the efforts of McMurray, Montoya and Bowyer. Ford was next best at the hands of Kahne. Toyota was third with Blaney, while the top Dodge came via eighth-quick Sam Hornish Jr. (39.385 seconds at 182.811 mph).

The Auto Club 500 gets underway at 3 p.m. EST on Sunday, Feb. 21 with live coverage provided by FOX beginning with its pre-race show at 2 p.m.

The unwashed and autographed Old Spice towel was handed over to a charity auction to benefit the Tony Stewart Foundation, and will run for one week beginning at 9 a.m. EST on Monday, Feb. 15. Fans can place a bid for the autographed towel by logging on to www.OldSpice.com or www.TonyStewart.com.

Throughout the 2010 racing season, every time Stewart wins a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race or a NASCAR Nationwide Series race, his Old Spice victory lane towel will be auctioned off for charity.

The Tony Stewart Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that raises funds primarily distributed to three specific groups – chronically ill children, drivers injured in motorsports activities and organizations dedicated to the protection of various animal species. To date, the Foundation has awarded almost $4 million to assist charitable initiatives for more than 130 organizations throughout the United States.

As the official deodorant and body wash of NASCAR, Old Spice is celebrating its 11-year anniversary with Stewart, and during that time has become a popular part of his post-win ritual. Every time Stewart wins a Sprint Cup or NASCAR Nationwide Series race during the 2010 season, he’ll use the Old Spice towel to wipe off the sweat and sweet spray of victory. He’ll later autograph the towel and turn it over to Old Spice for a charity auction on eBay, with all proceeds going to the Tony Stewart Foundation.

Stewart has waved a sweat- and champagne-soaked towel in NASCAR victory lanes more than 50 times since coming to NASCAR from the IndyCar Series in 1999. And this year expects to be no different as Stewart starts his second season as a driver/owner with his No. 14 Old Spice/Office Depot Chevrolet fielded by Stewart-Haas Racing.

The No. 14 Old Spice/Office Depot Chevrolet makes its debut during the Feb. 6 Budweiser Shootout at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. Old Spice will also be seen throughout the 2010 Sprint Cup season as Stewart’s primary sponsor Feb. 21 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., Feb. 28 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, March 28 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, April 25 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, May 8 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, June 6 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, June 13 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, June 27 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, July 25 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Aug. 8 at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International, Sept. 11 at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway, Oct. 16 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway and Nov. 15 at Phoenix International Raceway.

“I’m thrilled to be behind the wheel with Old Spice again, and we look forward to another winning season,” Stewart said. “Whenever I win, you can bet that I’ll be waving that Old Spice towel in celebration. Since we started these auctions, fans have raised more than $20,000 for my Foundation and helped countless people.”

The Tony Stewart Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that raises funds for distribution to three specific groups – chronically ill children, drivers injured in motorsports activities and organizations dedicated to the protection of various animal species. To date, the Foundation has awarded almost $4 million to assist charitable initiatives for more than 130 organizations throughout the United States.

“No one works harder on and off the track than Tony Stewart, and we’re proud to be a long-time supporter of his efforts,” said James Moorhead, Old Spice deodorant brand manager. “We’re excited for the return of the Victory Towel auctions and anticipate many return trips to victory lane, especially after Tony’s strong season in 2009. He’s proven it’s no sweat to be both a driver and an owner, and we look forward to raising even more money for the Tony Stewart Foundation.”

The unwashed and autographed Old Spice towel was handed over to a charity auction to benefit the Tony Stewart Foundation, and will run for one week beginning at 9 a.m. EDT on Monday, June 8.

Fans can place a bid for the autographed towel by logging on to www.OldSpice.com or www.TonyStewart.com.

Throughout the 2009 racing season, every time Stewart wins a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race or a NASCAR Nationwide Series race, his Old Spice victory lane towel will be auctioned off for charity.

The towel from Stewart’s Nationwide Series win earlier this season at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway raised $1,025, and the towel he used in victory lane following the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race near Charlotte, N.C., went for $814. Since 2006 when Old Spice began auctioning off Stewart’s victory lane towels, a total of $20,418.01 has been raised for charity.
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Such was the case for Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet Impala SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR).

In his first point-paying race as a driver/owner in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Stewart started the 51st Daytona 500 in fifth, led 15 laps and contended for the win until rain forced NASCAR officials to call the race after 152 of the scheduled 200 laps were completed, or 380 of the 500 scheduled miles. Running eighth when the rains came, it would be where Stewart finished once NASCAR officials declared the race over.

“Obviously, I would’ve have liked to have seen the race get back to green,” said Stewart, who finished third in the non-point Budweiser Shootout Feb. 7, second in his Gatorade Duel qualifying race on Thursday and first in the season-opening NASCAR Nationwide Series race on Saturday. “I felt like we were a lot better than an eighth-place car, but there were guys ahead of us that were eighth-place cars that got wrecked. To leave here with a third, second and an eighth in my own cars and a win in the Nationwide Series with Rick Hendrick, I can’t say it’s really that disappointing.”

Beyond the strong finishes, the work that went into making Daytona Speedweeks a successful one for SHR was impressive. Never mind that everything needed to get to Daytona was new, and the extraordinary effort it took to prepare a team filled with new personnel and new equipment for the season-opening event. Once the team unloaded Stewart’s No. 14 machine and the No. 39 U.S. Army Chevy of teammate Ryan Newman, the entire SHR organization absorbed a heavy workload.

After placing both cars within the top-10 during Daytona 500 time trials last Sunday — with Newman and Stewart logging the third and 10th-fastest times, respectively, around the 2.5-mile oval — SHR saw its share of adversity.

On Wednesday, the engine in Newman’s car broke, forcing the No. 39 team to the rear of the field for its Gatorade Duel qualifying race. And in that race, Newman got punted into the backstretch wall, destroying his primary racecar and forcing him to a backup. On Saturday during final practice, a right-rear tire blew on the No. 39, ripping the entire quarterpanel off the U.S. Army Chevrolet and sending Newman spinning into the path of Stewart. Both cars were too damaged to be repaired, with Newman needing yet another backup car and Stewart being forced to use the car he drove to a third-place finish in the Budweiser Shootout. Making matters even more stressful heading into the Great American Race was that Stewart only got about 10 minutes of track time in his new ride before the Daytona 500 while Newman received none.

“I’m just really proud of everybody at Stewart-Haas — all the guys back at the shop and everybody on the Office Depot/Old Spice and U.S. Army team for all the hurdles we had to cross this week,” Stewart said. “I think we have a lot of potential, obviously.

“We just have to get poor Ryan hooked up right now. That’s the part I am disappointed with. It’s nothing of anybody’s doing — they just had bad luck this week. I’m going to do everything I can to make sure we get that turned around for California and Vegas. I’m proud of Tony Gibson (crew chief, No. 39) and Ryan and Darian Grubb (crew chief, No. 14), Bobby Hutchens (director of competition) and all the guys that came down here and helped to get two cars ready. Considering we lost three cars and an engine — to still have a car finish in the top-10 — you can’t be that disappointed.

“I think the thing I’m most proud of is not the third-place run or the second-place run or the Nationwide win. It’s coming back from the infield care center on Saturday and seeing all the guys and seeing their attitudes and how hard they worked to get us out again before the end of final practice, and how hard Ryan’s crew worked to get their car ready, too. It’s not what you would typically think you would be most proud of, but that’s what stands out in my mind as the highlight of the week, and just showing me when we have adversity, what kind of guys we have and how dedicated they are to making it right.”

Stewart leads the SHR driver lineup in the championship point race, as his eighth-place finish combined with the five bonus earned for leading a lap slotted him seventh in the standings. After round one of 36, Stewart is 43 points behind series leader and Daytona 500 winner Matt Kenseth. Newman is 36th in the standings, 135 points out of first.

There were eight caution periods for 35 laps, with four drivers failing to finish the rain-shortened race. It marked only the fourth time the Daytona 500 has been cut short by rain.

The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule is the Feb. 22 Auto Club 500 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif.

Every time Stewart wins a Sprint Cup or NASCAR Nationwide Series race during the 2009 season, he’ll use the Old Spice towel to wipe off the sweat and sweet spray of victory. He’ll later autograph the towel and turn it over to Old Spice for a charity auction on eBay, with all proceeds going to the Tony Stewart Foundation.

The No. 14 Old Spice/Office Depot Chevrolet Impala SS made its debut during the Feb. 7 Budweiser Shootout at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, and it will continue to be seen throughout the 2009 Sprint Cup season, with Old Spice serving as Stewart’s primary sponsor Feb. 22 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., March 1 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, March 29 at the Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, April 5 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, April 26 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, May 9 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, June 28 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, July 26 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Aug. 2 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, Aug. 9 at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International, Oct. 17 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway near Charlotte, N.C., Oct. 25 at Martinsville Speedway and Nov. 15 at Phoenix International Raceway.

‘Old Spice has been with me for a long time, and we look forward to another winning season,’ Stewart said. ‘Every time I win, you’ll be sure to see me waving that Old Spice towel in victory lane. Over the years, their auctions have raised thousands of dollars for my Foundation and helped countless people.’

The Tony Stewart Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that raises funds for distribution to three specific groups — chronically ill children, drivers injured in motorsports activities and organizations dedicated to the protection of various animal species. To date, the Foundation has awarded almost $4 million to assist charitable initiatives for more than 130 organizations throughout the United States. One of the prime beneficiaries of the Foundation is the Victory Junction Gang Camp, which serves as a year-round camp for children ages seven to 15 with an assortment of life-threatening illnesses.

‘We’re thrilled to celebrate our 10th year with Tony, and this year is going to be the biggest yet,’ said James Moorehead, Old Spice brand manager. ‘Tony works hard on and off the track, and will be sweating it out even more this season as a driver/owner with Stewart-Haas Racing. Old Spice is proud to be along for the ride and pleased to continue Tony’s Old Spice Victory Towel auctions since they’re such a unique opportunity for fans to own a piece of racing history and raise money for a great cause.’

But like a Christmas present waiting under the tree for weeks before Christmas actually arrived, Stewart has had to wait for Daytona Speedweeks to begin at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway to finally unwrap the present he’s coveted since announcing at Chicagoland that he was leaving Joe Gibbs Racing – the only team he had ever known in his 12 years as a NASCAR driver – to become co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing with Haas Automation, the largest CNC machine tool builder in the western world.

Stewart has done countless interviews, participated in numerous photo shoots and acted in a variety of commercials for his new partners at Stewart-Haas Racing.

While all worthwhile, the wait has been agonizing. The more Stewart talked about the upcoming season, the more he wanted it to begin. The boss needed to get to his office.

The 2.5-mile oval that is Daytona International Speedway is Stewart’s office, and walking tall in his new red firesuit, Stewart’s carries a big stick by way of his No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet.

A 12-time winner at Daytona in Sprint Cup, the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the defunct IROC Series, Stewart is still in search of that highly coveted Daytona 500 victory. He came tantalizingly close last year, leading four times for 16 laps, only to lose the lead on the last lap to his current Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Ryan Newman.

That disappointment is in Stewart’s rearview mirror. However, it still provides motivation for the two-time Sprint Cup champion to claim the Daytona 500’s Harley J. Earl trophy, second in prestige only to the Sprint Cup championship trophy.

That quest begins anew in 2009, and it’s one Stewart can finally quit talking about. Daytona is here, and the 61st Sprint Cup season has begun.

TONY STEWART, Driver of the No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet Impala SS for Stewart-Haas Racing:

Before last year’s Daytona 500, you said that you’d cross the finish line on your roof if it meant winning. After coming so close last year, is it possible to want to win this race any more than you already did?

“I don’t think so. I don’t think after last year you could ever want it worse. The good thing is that since the cars are paid for and since I’m the one that paid for them, I don’t care if there is nothing left but me when I slide across the line. All I care about is that we get it. I don’t care if the car’s destroyed when I come across the line. I don’t care if we have to physically take it in on a flatbed to Daytona USA Monday morning and slide it off onto that little stage. That’s what we want.”

What made you want to have Ryan Newman as your teammate at Stewart-Haas Racing?

“It wasn’t like we looked at the whole list of drivers and said, ‘Well, we can pick this guy or that guy or this guy or that guy.’ It was a select group of people. But when we sat and talked to Ryan about all of this, I left the meeting saying this is our guy, we’ve got to get him. Something that really impressed me during the whole process of getting him hired and going through the contract negotiations was that he never once brought up money, salary or percentages of anything. All he cares about is winning races and what we’re going to do to give him the equipment he needs so that he can be competitive and have a shot at winning each weekend. That was all he ever asked. And when Ryan says ‘There’s something I don’t like’ or ‘There’s something I need changed,’ he’s really good at giving you a reason why. It’s not just a request. He has the facts to justify it to where you don’t have to sit there and go, ‘Why is he wanting that?’ He answers those questions for you and you have the ability to make those kinds of decisions quicker.

And the more time we’ve spent together, the more I know he’s the right fit for this team. When we got a chance to go to New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway in January and run together and have a chance to talk to each other about our cars, it felt like we had worked together before, even though we never have. I think that’s because of our backgrounds. Our interests are similar – at the track, away from the track – and I think we both have that same passion and desire to win. I think that’s what’s going to make Ryan and I a great combination as teammates.”

You’re using a new carbon-fiber seat this year. How do you like it?

“That was why it was really important to go down to New Smyrna and get a feel for the new carbon-fiber seat. That was basically Darian’s (Grubb, crew chief) decision. He said, ‘I’m not bolting an aluminum seat in your car.’ He pretty much left the decision process out of it for me. It was, we are going to try it, and not only are we going to try it, we’re going to figure out how to make it work. I was pleasantly surprised. As odd as it’s going to sound, and nobody will believe me, but my bottom half of the seat and the top half of the seat, it’s a Jimmie Johnson shell. I got in it and said, ‘Yeah, it’s comfortable.’ It’s been really comfortable right off the bat, and once we got the steering wheel in the right spot at New Smyrna, it felt like any other seat. It was very comfortable.”

With very little “off” time this off-season, do you feel that Stewart-Haas Racing is ready to start the season?

“We got a later start than everybody because of how many different people came from so many different teams, and by the time you get them all there and get the direction with everybody, you’re well into December. But I was at Joe Gibbs Racing a couple of days before we left to come down here and they were still thrashing too, and that’s a team that’s been established for well over 10 years and they’re still in the same boat. It’s that way every year, so it made me feel better that our guys have really done a good job of getting caught up in such a short time.”

How much time did you get to spend in Indiana during the off season?

“I think I spent 10 days or 11 days there. But I was comfortable with that. I think I took eight or nine days off in a row after Homestead and went home. But after the second day I was there, I was already itching to get back down to the shop. It wasn’t that I felt guilty about not being there, I just wanted to be there and wanted to see what was going on and wanted to start this learning process. It’s honestly been the most fun off season I’ve ever had. I had the best Christmas I’ve ever had. It’s just been fun. I’ve really enjoyed it.”

What did you learn from Joe Gibbs as an owner that you’re applying to Stewart-Haas Racing?

“To get good people. When you hire the right people to do the right jobs and you let them do their jobs, it’s good.”

What’s the sense of accomplishment been like to see your team grow?

“When you haven’t been a part of building a program like this, every day is a learning process. Just being there to see it grow and to watch it happen every day – those are the things that make you proud. When you go into the shop one day and you see eight brand new chassis and you see them sit there for a week before they get caught up to get to them, and then all of a sudden you see chassis start disappearing and getting into the fab shop, that’s the process where I don’t know whether we were on schedule or not on schedule. For me, it’s going up and talking to Bobby Hutchens (director of competition) and saying, ‘Are we all right here? Are we on schedule? Are we behind and are we going to be caught up when it’s time to go?’ And it’s just having those guys there and having them to lean on and learn from that has made it better.”

How do you separate the time when you need to be a driver and when you need to be an owner?

“I’ve made it very clear to Bobby (Hutchens) and Tony (Gibson, crew chief for Newman) and Darian (Grubb, crew chief for Stewart) that when I go on the racetrack, I’m a driver. That’s it. I’m strictly a driver. And it has to be that way. We have to have those people in place to fill in that ownership roll while I’m doing my thing as a driver. I can’t do both rolls at the same time. I can be an owner four days a week, but the other three days a week, I have to be a driver. And that’s the way I want it. That’s the only way it will work.”

Did you ever consider that owning a team may take away from the driving experience?

“No, not at all. I drove the Chili Bowl for myself and it added to the experience. I’ve been an owner since 2001 and I’ve loved every bit of it. There was never a part of the process where I thought, well, this might take away from being a driver. I think the majority of that is because I know that on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, that’s all I am – a driver. I’m sticking to my guns on that. That’s what I do on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I drive the racecar. Darian (Grubb) and Bobby (Hutchens) and Tony Gibson are my bosses on the weekend. Those are the people I work for. And then Monday morning, we go back and work as a team together and figure out what we need to do to be better.”

Since you’ve become a NASCAR team owner, have you had any middle of the night-oh-my God-what did I get myself into moments?

“Absolutely, every other night there’s a moment I wake up and say that with Eldora Speedway, with my World of Outlaw teams and my USAC teams. But as scary as it probably should be, it hasn’t been. I’ve been really comfortable with everything that we’ve done so far, and I think a lot of that is the fact I feel like I have good people around me. I feel I have people that I can trust. Everything they do is in our best interest as an organization, and they know how I feel about how important family is and how much of an emphasis I’ve put on that with this race team. When you have guys around you that understand your philosophy and understand your mindset, it takes a lot of that fear away so when you do go to bed at night you can relax a little bit.”

Are comfortable with being the boss?

“I don’t even view myself as the boss, honestly. I feel like I’m just one of the other guys at the shop. I walk in there and I’m their driver. I may have my name on the building and it may be my race team, but we’re all here for the same reason. So with that, it makes it a more relaxed atmosphere, and I think that’s why the guys smile when I come in the shop and wave every day is because I don’t walk through there beating my chest like I’m some big, special guy or anything. I’m treated as one of the guys, and that’s the way they treat me.”

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received from another owner?

“It’s been set your budget and stick to it. That’s probably been the biggest thing that I’ve been told by multiple car owners, and I think there’s a lot of validity to what they’re saying. That’s been an issue that probably every car owner has had to go through almost every year of their career as an owner. That’s something they’ve all been very, very adamant about. You take that advice and run with it.”

Do you feel like you can compete for a championship this year?

“I honestly don’t know what to expect. I wish I had that magical answer. As a driver, trying to keep your sponsors and team pumped up, you’re supposed to say, ‘Yeah, I feel like I can win the championship.’ But I don’t know what those expectations should be and I don’t know what realistic goals I should have. I just know that every week, we’ll go out and give 100 percent and when we leave at the end of the day, as long as we feel like we’ve gotten 100 percent out of ourselves that day, then that’s going to be good enough for that day. And then on Monday morning, we’re going to try to figure out what we can do to make it better for the next week. I think that’s about as realistic as you can get.”

The Budweiser Shootout is an exhibition race featuring the top-six cars from each of the four manufacturers – Chevrolet, Ford, Dodge and Toyota – along with a wild card entry from each manufacturer that goes to a past champion. If no past champion, the manufacturer’s seventh-highest placing car in 2008 car owner points earns a starting berth. This year’s field included an event-record 28 drivers, with Stewart nailing down his starting spot thanks to his 2005 Sprint Cup championship.

“I’ll take that for a debut night,” said Stewart, a three-time winner of the non-point Budweiser Shootout. “It wasn’t the prettiest third-place, but we were in the right spot at the right time. We know what we need to work on for the Daytona 500, and now we have a good start on it.”

Stewart’s third-place finish was his fourth consecutive top-three finish in the Budweiser Shootout and his eighth top-five in 10 Shootout appearances.

“I had fun all night,” Stewart said. “I was real comfortable with the car. I’m excited because I know our 500 car is better than this one. I think we know what areas we need to work on Wednesday and what we will concentrate on Thursday. That will give us a really big gauge for what want to do on Friday and Saturday. I’m excited about it. We have a direction and we got the first one out of the way. Everybody has the cobwebs knocked out of them. It was an awesome debut for Old Spice and Office Depot.”

Stewart managed to dodge seven accidents throughout the 78-lap race, which was extended three laps past its scheduled distance due to a green-white-checkered finish, and made a stirring drive during the final green flag run. After David Stremme and Greg Biffle were involved in an accident on lap 74, Stewart, who was outside the top-10, pitted for four fresh tires and restarted the race in 15th-place.

NASCAR officials announced the race would conclude via a green-white-checkered finish, so when the green flag came out for the final time on lap 76, Stewart knew he had only two laps to get to the front. During the two-lap sprint around the 2.5-mile oval, he managed to pick up 12 spots and dodge a final lap accident on the backstretch that involved four cars.

“We restarted there in the back on that last run and got near the front in a couple of laps,” Stewart said. “We got that run and we were able to pick which line we wanted. We got the one out of three lines that moved, so it worked out for us.”

Despite coming up two spots short of victory in his first race as a driver/owner, Stewart was still pleased to lead laps and work with his new team.

“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t excited,” Stewart said. “I guess it wasn’t really until the caution came out and we were already back to ninth or 10th. It was like, ‘We just led the first race we were in.’ That is a big moment for anybody. Anybody that takes on a big undertaking like this, the first time you lead a race – especially the first race out of the box and lead it in the first 20 laps – that is something to really be proud of.

“I was really happy with our Hendrick engine, and I was very, very impressed with Darian Grubb (crew chief) and the crew tonight. It doesn’t even feel like it was our first race together. It was like we carried on from something else. It was a great night for Old Spice and Office Depot.”

Stewart’s SHR teammate – Ryan Newman – was forced to look on from the No. 14 team’s pit box, as his switch from Dodge to Chevrolet for 2009 precluded him from this year’s race.

Kevin Harvick won the Budweiser Shootout to score his first victory since the 2007 Sprint All-Star Race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway near Charlotte. Jamie McMurray finished second, while Stewart, Jeff Gordon and A.J. Allmendinger rounded out the top-five. Kasey Kahne, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch and Kyle Busch comprised the remainder of the top-10.