Tony Stewart won the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway, scoring his 26th NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victory in his 265th career start.
Stewart climbed to 21st on NASCARs all-time winners list – tied with Fred Lorenzen.
Stewart scored his second victory in 2006. Stewart also won at Martinsville in April.
This was Stewarts second straight Pepsi 400 victory. Stewart has scored nine top-10 finishes in the last nine restrictor-plate races, including six straight top-fives. This is Stewarts 15th victory on a superspeedway.
Stewart won from the second-place starting position. One year ago he won this race from the Bud pole.
This is Stewarts second victory and ninth top-10 finish in 16 races at Daytona. He has scored six top-10 finishes in the last six races at Daytona.
Stewart scored his ninth top-10 finish in 17 races this season.
Stewart climbed from seventh to fifth in the point standings.
Stewart led six times for 86 laps, including the final three in the Pepsi 400, leading the most laps for the fourth time in 2006. He has led the most laps in four of the last six restrictor-plate races.
This is team owner Joe Gibbs 50th NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victory and his third at Daytona.
Joe Gibbs Racing has won at least one race each season 1993-2006, 14 consecutive years.
Notebook Items
Kyle Busch (second) scored his eighth top-10 finish in 17 races in 2006. It was his first top-10 finish in four races at Daytona. He climbed from 12th to eighth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings.
Kurt Busch (third) scored his sixth top-10 finish in 2006. It was his fourth straight top-10 finish – extending a streak that began at Pocono. It is his fifth top-10 finish (all top fives) in 12 races at Daytona.
Boris Said (fourth) scored his second top-10 finish in two races in 2006 – both in the last two weeks. It was his first top-10 finish in three races at Daytona. He also led in his first race other than a road-course event.
Matt Kenseth fifth) scored his 11th top-10 finish in 2006. This was his fifth top-10 in 14 races at Daytona.
Kevin Harvick (ninth) extended a 29-race streak of running at the finish that began at California last September, the longest current streak.
Ryan Newman finished 11th at Daytona and extended a streak of five straight top-15 finishes.
Jimmie Johnson (32nd) remained first in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings, but is now just eight points ahead of second-place Matt Kenseth.
Johnson has been ranked among the top 10 for 86 consecutive races, tying Darrell Waltrip for eighth in consecutive races in the points top-10 since the current point system was established in 1975.
At least one of the 2006 Raybestos Rookie-of-the Year contenders has scored a top-15 finish in all 17 races this season. Clint Bowyer finished 10th, posting his fourth top-10 finish in 2006 including both races at Daytona.
The 15 different leaders in the 2006 Pepsi 400 is a record for this event.
Streaks that Ended at Daytona
Greg Biffle (31st) dropped from ninth to 11th in the point standings and ended a streak of seven straight top-10 finishes, the longest top-10 streak of his career that began at Richmond in May.
Denny Hamlin finished 17th at Daytona and ended a streak of seven straight top-15 finishes.(NASCAR Statistical Services)(7-1-2006)
