NASCAR: Tony Stewart’s Five Most Significant Wins
By Mike Hutton
Number 4: Daytona – July 2, 2005 – Pepsi 400
Significance: Quintessential Domination From Start to Finish
Commentary: Not even pesky rain showers in the Daytona Beach area were going to stop Stewart on this night. Because of the rain, the race did not see a green flag until almost 11:15pm EST, with the checkered flag coming just before 2AM. For the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevy, it was worth the wait. Chassis #70 was probably the most dominant of the JGR “twisted sister” cars in the mid-00’s, never finishing worse than 6th in any restrictor-plate race. On this night, Stewart, starting from the pole, led 151 of the race’s 160 laps. Who does that anymore? This night will also be remembered for a 4th-place finish from Rusty Wallace, in what would be his last Daytona appearance.
Next: #3 - Indianapolis, July 2007