Streaking Stewart Battles Harvick For Victory

INDIANAPOLIS — Tony Stewart’s first Allstate 400 at the Brickyard victory in 2005 was dramatic, but his second Brickyard win victory Sunday was dominant.
The driver from Columbus, Ind., who grew up dreaming of winning the Indianapolis 500 has done the next best thing by becoming a two-time winner of the NASCAR Nextel Cup race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“We had the fastest car today,” Stewart said.
He celebrated in typical fashion by climbing the fence at the flag stand, a move IndyCar driver Helio Castroneves performed here for the first time when he won the 2001 Indy 500. It allowed him to celebrate with his legion of loyal fans.
“This one is for every one of the fans in the stands that pull for me every week and take all the bull—— from everyone else,” Stewart said during his television interview. The two-time NASCAR champion said he expected to be fined for his remarks.
“Whatever happens, they still can’t take this trophy away from me today.”
Stewart’s victory check of $488,111 should be more than enough to pay the fine. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was docked $25,000 and 25 points when he used a similar term after winning at Talladega in 2004.

BACK ON BRICKS: Tony Stewart crosses the famous yard of bricks Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The native Hoosier captured his second Brickyard title. (Autostock Photo)

It was Stewart’s second-straight Nextel Cup victory and the 31st of his career. He won the last race two weeks ago at Chicagoland Speedway.
But unlike that triumph, a victory at the Brickyard is never “just another race” to the 36-year-old Hoosier native.
“I think I’ll enjoy this one more than the first one,” Stewart said. “The first one was just like taking the weight of the world off your shoulders. When you grow up 45 miles from here, there was a period of my life when I was driving a wrecker for a living, I was driving down 16th Street and Georgetown Road (site of the Speedway) thinking, ‘Man, what would it be like to be 150 yards inside of that fence running 200 miles an hour?’”
Stewart would discover that by competing in five Indianapolis 500s and nine Brickyard 400s.

“This one is for every one of the fans in the stands that pull for me every week and take all the bull—— from everyone else.”

— Tony Stewart

“I got to do that (in the Indy 500). Then I got to come here in a stock car then win for the first time,” Stewart said of his 2005 victory. “That was such a weight off our shoulders. Today, we’re just happy now. That’s probably what helped us today, not being wound up, being able to be calm and relaxed because it wasn’t untouchable any more.
“It was race the race those last 10 laps. It wasn’t like my whole life depended on whether I pass the car in front of me or not.”
Kevin Harvick got around Stewart to take over the lead with 18 laps to go. Stewart was so relaxed he could be heard over the team’s radio saying, “Here, kitty, kitty, kitty” as he reeled in Harvick’s Chevrolet.
With 15 to go, Stewart drove right up to the back of Harvick’s bumper and began to pressure the 2003 Brickyard winner. 
With 10 laps to go, Stewart drove under Harvick to take the lead in turn one, but Harvick got next to him in turn two and drove him up the race track.

'HERE KITTY, KITTY, KITTY': Tony Stewart stalks Kevin Harvick (29) in the closing stages of Sunday's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. (Autostock Photo)

“When it came to racing Kevin, he’s the same guy I drive a Busch car for, it was easier to put it in perspective, calm down and do what I needed to do, which was race the race,” Stewart said. “Kevin got really smart and changed how he was driving turn two and got to where I wasn’t getting as big a run as I was before. I had to do something different.
“We got underneath him, I squeezed him a little bit, not on purpose, and ran him into the short chute. It was almost like a countermove when he got back underneath me. It was a drag race down the backstretch. Whoever got into turn three was probably going to win the race.”
It was Stewart who made it into turn three. Once he was in the lead, he drove away from the field to score a decisive victory. Harvick’s Chevrolet dropped off and finished seventh.
“It was good racing until I got the left- front fender caved in,” Harvick said. “He (Stewart) didn’t quite give us enough room.”
Stewart’s Chevrolet finished 2.982 seconds ahead of 2000 Indy 500 winner and NASCAR rookie Juan Pablo Montoya’s Dodge Charger.
“I don’t think anybody had anything for Tony today,” Montoya said.
Four-time Brickyard winner Jeff Gordon’s Chevrolet was third, followed by teammate Kyle Busch. Pole-winner Reed Sorenson finished fifth in a Dodge. Sorensen is Montoya’s teammate and gave team owner Chip Ganassi two drivers in the top five.
The race was a yellow-flag affair for the first half of the 160-lap race, but it became apparent early that Stewart had the dominant car. He started 14th but was up to fifth by the eighth lap. He was third by lap 14 and first four laps later when he was the first off pit road during a yellow-flag pit stop.
The crashes took out such contenders as last year’s winner. Jimmie Johnson, who was involved in an eight-car pileup on lap 47 and then later the damage to the fender caused tire rub and he crashed on lap 62.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. appeared to be in prime contention to get both his first victory of the season and his first win at the Brickyard but his engine blew up on lap 136. Earnhardt led twice for 33 laps.
Stewart, who led seven times for a race-high 65 laps, would trade leads throughout the race and was in front when the green flag waved with 20 laps to go, chased by Harvick, Gordon and Montoya.
For the sixth time in the 14-year history of this race, the winner was a driver from the state of Indiana.