Tony Stewart wins at Sonoma to snap 84-race drought

Carl Edwards, who began on the pole, led the first eight laps, with AJ Allmendinger directly behind him.

If he doesn’t win another race, he can walk away content, as a victor in his final NASCAR season. “It could have worked either way”. He even did the thing he despises most from other drivers – blocking competitors trying to pass him.

The daring move paid off in spades when the yellow caution came out one lap later due to a piece of debris on the track in Turn 11. “The rest of the time I felt like I was the Tony Stewart that has won here and led laps here in the past”.

“Especially at a place you’re going to for the last time, it means a bunch”, Stewart, who is retiring at season’s end, said. “It was the ideal opportunity for us”. Their vehicle really wasn’t that good most of the day and really I have to believe that last pit stop was unscheduled, but then lo’ and behold a half-lap after he pits the caution comes out. Stewart grabbed it back in tricky Turn 11, where he dove to the inside of Hamlin and as the two raced side-by-side, Stewart pushed Hamlin toward the wall. “I don’t know how many corners that is, doing the math, but it’s, what, 160 corners, 150 some odd corners and I screwed up three of them”. The team had an uncontrolled tire with a little more than 20 laps remaining.

“Our partnership with Sonoma Raceway is a great opportunity for us to collaborate with the local Toyota dealers to reach and engage with NASCAR fans”, said Keith Dahl, general manager, motorsports and marketing asset management at Toyota Motor Sales US. As leader of the Driver Council, Hamlin got the council to split the cost of a $35,000 fine Stewart received this year for criticizing NASCAR.

“I actually got a little bit emotional thinking about it while I was driving”, Stewart added towards the end of his press conference, “But you stay so focused and you have to…” In addition to setting up his auto for races and calling the strategy from atop the pit box, Bugarewicz is in charge of reminding his driver to have fun. “[I] thought maybe we could stay close enough that we could have a shot back at him”.

It was a remarkably accident free race, in sharp contrast to Saturday’s Chevy’s Fresh Mex 200, a NASCAR Pro Series race that had a lot in common with the demolition derby.

“It had to be an ignition or wire fire”. “Hell, I couldn’t breathe”.

Another caution tightened the pack, but that merely set the stage for the dramatic finish to a race that was much cleaner than previous stops on this track.

“You can’t crack the door open with me on the last corner of the last lap and expect me to not take it. I’ll kick the door in or drive a bulldozer through it to keep it open”, said Stewart. “Another fast race vehicle that is all I can ask for”. I was sitting third, watching those two guys.

One thing has always been accurate about Stewart: If you put a move on him he doesn’t think is kosher, you will hear about it, often in the form of a crunched fender or bumper. But we are witnessing a historic moment in NASCAR. “Tony knows when he gets out in front that he has the ability to compete with anybody”.

Kevin Harvick finished sixth, Kyle Busch was seventh, Ryan Newman eighth, Kasey Kahne ninth, and Kurt Busch rounded out the top-10.

Stewart says when he usually finishes a race at the Sonoma Raceway, where he was the victor on Sunday, he’s ready to fight at least five guys at the helipad en route to the airport. We’re nine [points] out right now.