Tony Stewart Wins the 2008 Amp Energy 500 at Talladega Superspeedway
Tony Stewart Wins the 2008 Amp Energy 500 at Talladega Superspeedway
Posted by GEORGE October 7, 2008 6:32:20 AM
The wait is finally over for Tony Stewart, as he picked up the win in the Amp Energy 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday. It was a long time coming for the Joe Gibbs Racing superstar, and he seemed as happy as if he had just won his first NASCAR Sprint Cup race.
Smoke deserved the win as he took the lead late in the race and held on to it, something no other driver was able to do. With the help of another driver or two, and a late yellow flag, Tony Stewart picked up his first win of the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, and his first win in over a year.
Jimmie Johnson came from a lap down to finish ninth and pad his lead over the other Chase drivers. Carl Edwards helped Jimmie’s cause a bunch when he took himself, Greg Biffle, and a host of other drivers out of the race. Carl’s bad decision also helped Tony Stewart, as there weren't enough drivers with fast cars left after the accident to run Stewart down.
Dale Earnhardt Jr was one of the drivers Carl Edwards took out, and Junior referred to the move and the driver who executed it as "idiotic" and "idiot," in that order. Earnhardt was running hard at the time and had a fair chance to take the win. He led a number of laps early in the race, and he was doing well, teaming up with Juan Pablo Montoya. There was no sign of fading in the second half of the race for Earnhardt Jr, as has been his style lately, and I'm guessing the "coaching" from Rick Hendrick had a lot to do with it. Many very successful NASCAR drivers have never won a championship, but in the eyes of his fans, that's not good enough for the son of a seven-time champion.
The combination of early-Chase bad luck, Talladega's "BIG ONE," and Carl Edwards' move during last weekend's race has dramatically narrowed the field for the 2008 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, and likely Tony Stewart are out of it as I see it. I give Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick a prayer of a chance, and with a great amount of luck, Jeff Burton is a possibility. But I still believe it's going to boil down to Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards, or Greg Biffle.
Regan Smith improved his chances of taking the NASCAR rookie of the year award, although he has not shaken Sam Hornish Jr from of his tail. Frankly speaking, the rookies this year leave quite a bit to be desired, compared to previous years. None of them have made many headlines this year, and Jacques Villeneuve and Dario Franchitti have literally thrown in the towel.
There are six races left in the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, and the competition is heating up. Our NASCAR tour group is off to Charlotte and Lowe's Motor Speedway this weekend for the Bank of America 500. Known for competitive races and an outstanding facility, Lowe's Motor Speedway is the place to be this weekend for exciting NASCAR Sprint Cup racing!
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