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Will Stewart Join Rudd In Elite Brickyard Club This July?
Indianapolis – After his team’s performance during the 2009 Daytona 500 Speedweeks, it isn’t a matter of “if” this season for Tony Stewart. It’s a matter of “when” he will win a NASCAR Sprint Cup race in 2009.
After finishing second in his qualifying race, Stewart started fifth and finished eighth in the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 15. He ran with the front pack most of the day, including leading 15 laps, until rain shuffled the running order and ended the race. In addition, his Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Ryan Newman reinforced the strength of the first-year organization by setting the third-fastest qualifying time for the 500.
“Jeff Gordon has said several times how badly he wants to win his fifth Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, and that would be an incredible feat,” said Joie Chitwood, Indianapolis Motor Speedway president and chief operating officer. “However, it is hard to find a driver who wants to win races at the Brickyard more than Tony Stewart. It would not surprise me to see him drive his Chevrolet into Victory Lane in July for his third 400 win.”
The 16th Allstate 400 at the Brickyard is scheduled for Sunday, July 26.
When Stewart wins a NASCAR Sprint Cup in 2009 with his Stewart-Haas Racing Team, he will join an elite group of drivers who have won a major motorsports race in the last 20 years driving a car he also owned.
Ricky Rudd was the last driver/owner to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup event when he triumphed in September 1998 at Martinsville, Va. And one year before winning at Martinsville, Rudd won the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard in 1997. Becoming the only driver/owner to win a NASCAR race at the Brickyard. In total, Rudd won six races as a driver/owner in NASCAR’s premier series.
Filed under: Tony Stewart · Tags: Brickyard, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Ricky Rudd
how sweet it will be for tony to win at the brick yard that is tonys back yard to win there in is own car was jest top it off that is a verrrrrry special place for tony at brickyard thats is his back yard tony growed up there whatching his hero aj wining the ind 500 there if tony had to win any race he would tell you he wants to win there than any other place he races at because thats is such a histrico place ind and for tony to go back home tony calls his real home and to win in his own car as a car owner and to be in victiory lane is his car that would jest top it off and for aj to be there too see tony win that would make aj verrrrrrrry proud to see win that race