Is it his turn?
DAYTONA, Fla. — As Tony Stewart sat in front of a TV watching the Indianapolis Colts celebrate their Super Bowl victory, he thought about the burden lifted from quarterback Peyton Manning.
"I sent him a text message right after the game was over," Stewart recalled. "I said, 'You got yours, finally. Now it's time for me to go get my Super Bowl.'"
That's Sunday's Daytona 500.
The two-time NASCAR champion is 0-8 in the race that every NASCAR driver wants, and one that has been very tough — or impossible — for some of the sport's biggest names to win.
It took the late Dale Earnhardt 20 tries, while Darrell Waltrip finally got to Victory Circle in his 17th attempt. Rusty Wallace never won it, and Mark Martin will get his 22nd try Sunday.
Stewart already has 10 victories on Daytona International Speedway's 2.5-mile oval, including the non-points Budweiser Shootout last Saturday and his 150-mile qualifying race Thursday.
This week's victories — and the ease with which he got them — have made Stewart the heavy favorite to win.
But Stewart, whose best finish was second in 2004, has been the guy to beat before.
"I'm excited where we are starting the race," said Stewart, who will start third, on the inside of the second row in the 43-car field. "Having had the best car in the past and not being able to finish it off kind of leads me to think it's one lap at a time for 200 laps on Sunday.
"I feel like this is the best opportunity that we've had so far to win the 500," Stewart added. "This is definitely the most momentum we've had going into it."
