Engine problem puts Stewart up in smoke

FONTANA, Calif. -- A sour month for Tony Stewart ended in a cloud of smoke.

	Tony Stewart's motor expires during the Auto Club 500 at Fontana.

Stewart's motor expired on lap 130 of the Auto Club 500, his second engine failure in the last four races. He was running second at the time -- having just given up the lead to Jamie McMurray -- and had led 100 laps.

Since starting the season with four top-10s in the first five races, Stewart has finished better than 26th just once.

For the most part, it's been bad luck.

It all started on March 23, when he was caught up in an accident at Bristol, sending him to a 26th-place finish. A week later, his engine blew at Texas, and at Talladega, he was caught up in the Big One.

Now this.

AUTO CLUB 500  •  Results  •  Standings  •  Photo Gallery  •  Wallace good, but not good enough at Fontana  •  Wrecks spark plenty of cautions at Fontana

"I just went down the backstretch and broke a rod," said Stewart. "I tried to get it slowed down so I wouldn't oil down the track for everyone else."

"We hadn't touched the car all day. To go through half the race and not do anything with the car, that was something. We still had a dominant car. We had 'em."

"I just went down the backstretch and broke a rod," said Stewart, who finished 41st and dropped to 11th in the standings despite leading the most laps Sunday. "I tried to get it slowed down so I wouldn't oil down the track for everyone else."