Spin-out gives Stewart win
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — Tony Stewart can't wait to start the Chase.
Trailing leader Jeff Gordon by two car-lengths with two laps to go Sunday at Watkins Glen International, Stewart stared in amazement when Gordon spun out on his own entering the first turn on the 11-turn road course and went on to win the Centurion Boats at The Glen.
It was the third victory in four races for Stewart, who is on one of his midsummer rolls with only four races remaining before the Chase for the Nextel Cup title begins.
"You see how easy a streak can end and go the opposite way," said Stewart, a two-time Cup champion. "Once the Chase starts, I feel like we're in the best position of anybody. We just have to keep our fingers crossed."
Gordon's bobble was stunning, especially to Stewart.
"He's the last guy you expect to have a problem like that," Stewart said after his 36th career victory, tying him for 19th all-time with Dale Jarrett. "Trust me, I was probably the most shocked person. Our only shot of getting by him was to keep the pressure on him and hope he'd make a mistake."
For Stewart, who spun out in the same place as Gordon while leading earlier in the race and dropped to 19th, it was his sixth win on a road course. That ties him for second all-time with Richard Petty, Ricky Rudd, Rusty Wallace, and Bobby Allison.
"I think our car was a tick better than Jeff's, but if Jeff doesn't make that mistake, we run for second," said Stewart, who has won four of the last five Cup races at Watkins Glen and finished second a year ago to Kevin Harvick. "You were going to have to be a bunch faster to get by him."
Even though Gordon has a commanding lead in the points and became the first driver to clinch a spot in the Chase after finishing ninth Sunday, it was a bitter disappointment. He seemed set to extend his Cup record for road course victories to 10 before making that uncharacteristic mistake.
"I wanted that win real bad," said Gordon, who has four wins at The Glen. "Points don't mean anything."
