Tony Stewart Wins Talladega Nationwide Series Race By Al Pearce

TALLADEGA, AL (April 26, 2008) – Toyota driver Tony Stewart dominated the Aaron’s Nationwide 312 on Saturday afternoon, getting his fifth career Nationwide Series win, but his first--in any NASCAR series--at Talladega Superspeedway. The win came in his 27th Talladega start: 18 in Sprint Cup, five in Nationwide and four in IROC. He went into the 312-miler with seven career runner-up finishes at the 2.66-mile track.

Full-time Sprint Cup drivers now have won eight of this year’s nine Nationwide Series races: Stewart and Kyle Busch with three each, plus one each for Matt Kenseth and Clint Bowyer. Scott Wimmer is the only non-Cup driver to win in NASCAR’s second-level series this spring.

After a late-race caution for debris, Stewart fought off a last-lap charge from second-running Dale Earnhardt Jr., who faded to sixth, only a few lengths behind the winner. David Stremme rallied to second, then Bobby Hamilton Jr., Jason Leffler, Mark Green, Earnhardt Jr., Mike Bliss, Patrick Carpentier, Wimmer and Mike Wallace. Nine drivers swapped the lead 15 times, but Stewart (81 laps ahead) and Earnhardt (14) were clearly the class of the field. None of the other seven leaders was ahead for more than nine laps.

The race ran under caution eight times for 27 of its 117 laps. The most serious incident erupted on lap 70, when backmarker Kevin Lepage, running very slowly out of the pits, pulled in front of the pack approaching turn one. With his view obscured until the last instant, Carl Edwards slammed into Lepage, triggering a scary 15-car accident that led to a 25-minute race stoppage.

The melee sidelined or damaged the cars of (among others) Jason Keller, Busch, Carpentier, Lepage, Edwards, Stephen Wallace, Kenny Wallace, Marcos Ambrose, Reed Sorenson, Kelly Bires, David Reutimann, Cale Gale, Brad Keselowski and Stephen Leicht.

In an early-race incident, Dario Franchitti spun in turn three and was hit hard in the driver’s-side door by Larry Gunsleman. Franchitti was taken to an area hospital for treatment of a broken left ankle. The incident also swept up Clint Bowyer and Johnny Sauter.

Former Ganassi driver David Stremme was named to fill Franchitti's seat in Sunday's Sprint Cup race. Franchitti had qualified in the 43rd and final staring position based on owner points.