Notebook: Stewart puzzled, credits Newman

LONG POND, Pa. -- Less than a week ago, defending Winston Cup champion Tony Stewart went nose to nose on Dover International Speedway's pit road with MBNA Armed Forces Family 400 race winner Ryan Newman's crew chief Matt Borland.

	Ryan Newman

Stewart was irate after squandering arguably the strongest car at the track and scoring a fourth-place finish.

It was hard to tell -- since Stewart declined comment last Sunday -- if he was most upset about a one-lap NASCAR penalty for pitting outside his pit box, Newman refusing to give him his lap back on a caution flag at about the halfway point or his teammate, Bobby Labonte, passing him for third in the race's last six laps.

Stewart clarified the situation at Pocono Raceway, where his No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet will start fourth in Sunday's Pocono 500.

"It's a little bit confusing," Stewart said of the so-called "Gentleman's Agreement" whereby drivers do not race back to a caution flag unless they are trying to get a lap back from the leader.

Stewart's alleged confusion comes from the fact that the leader may or may not elect to allow lapped cars to regain a lost lap. The leader may let a teammate get a lap back, or repay a favor.

Newman said at Dover that he purposely did not give Stewart his lap back because he feared Stewart had a possible winning car.

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"I'm not sure where it stands right now," Stewart said of his future attitude toward the rule. "I think it's a situation where we all need to figure out what we're going to do and everybody needs to be that way toward everybody else.

"If we're not going to let each other have our laps back, then we need to make sure all the drivers know that. If we are going to do it, then we need to do it for everybody and not be selective."

As disgruntled as he was over the rule and, last week, its consequences, Stewart said he had no problems with Newman.

"I respect Ryan," Stewart said. "He's a great race car driver and he won the race fair and square the other day. We had a great, great car and I made a mistake that got us in that position in the first place.

"I don't have any ill feelings toward him (Newman). He ran a great race and deserved to win. We have a lot of racing left this year and I'm sure we'll be racing for more wins with him."

Kimmel cleared without practicing

Winston Cup owner Ray Evernham said four-time ARCA RE/MAX Series champion Frank Kimmel was cleared by Winston Cup director John Darby to substitute for Bill Elliott, if necessary, in Sunday's Pocono 500 despite not practicing Elliott's No. 9 Dodge Saturday.

He's (Kimmel) driven plenty of Winston Cup races and he's driven here in a Winston Cup race," Evernham said, before analyzing Elliott's decision. "It's hard to read drivers. Any professional athlete that's good at his game, it's hard to get guys to sit on the bench.

"I'm going to let Bill call the lead on that (but) I just want to make sure we're all using our heads. I feel like we've turned a corner here at Evernham Motorsports and I'm looking forward to the second half of the season."

Nadeau visits MB2 shop

	Jerry Nadeau

Mike Wallace, who is sitting-in for injured driver Jerry Nadeau in the No. 01 U.S. Army Pontiac, got good news Friday before Bud Pole Qualifying at Pocono.

"Just as we came out to qualify, we heard that Jerry had stopped by the MB2 shops and talked to some of the guys," Wallace said, "and that some of the guys from here talked to him.

"I'm really happy for Jerry and his family, and it sounds like he's on a quick road to recovery. In the meantime, we'll just fill in and keep the seat warm for him."

Stewart earns dirt milestone

Tony Stewart was as happy Friday about a checkered flag he took on a half-mile Pennsylvania dirt track, as he was to qualify fourth for the Pocono 500.

"I got to go to one of the coolest and most historic dirt tracks in Pennsylvania, Williams Grove, last night and won a big-block Modified match race," Stewart said. "I passed Billy Pauch coming down for the white flag and won that 20-lap match race. So I'm batting 1.000 at Williams Grove."

Fellow Winston Cup driver Dave Blaney, like Stewart a former dirt series champion earlier in his career, finished second Thursday night.

Johnson defends owner Gordon

	Jimmie Johnson

After he won the Bud Pole Friday at Pocono, Jimmie Johnson took a moment to defend his mentor, friend and car owner Jeff Gordon, who has been involved in on-track incidents with several drivers in the last three weeks, including two with Sterling Marlin.

"I haven't seen any change in Jeff's driving style," Johnson said. "When you're behind the wheel, on edge, both guys feel that they're in the right. In Jeff's mind, it's just hard racing and he doesn't want to do that stuff.

"I know Jeff isn't doing it intentionally. It's weird how cars seem to have magnets on them for one another. I think it's something to do with the 24/48 shop, because I've been spun out twice by the 40 car.

"I could easily retaliate and be upset and say all kinds of things from there, but you try not to get in that mindset and think that it's intentional.

"From knowing Jeff, I know he didn't do it intentionally and hopefully, Sterling will see that."