The defending champion at Chicago, Tony Stewart returns riding a two-race win streak. Credit: Autostock

Cross' Words: Daytona

My buddy Donnie, the troublemaker, asked Saturday afternoon why we -- the god-forsaken, ne'er-do-well media -- don't like Tony Stewart.

Stewart is the very definition of a racer, he said, and we -- the unwashed -- should spend more time talking and writing about that.

	Credit: Autostock
	TONY STEWART •   Driver Page •   2005 Statistics •   Superstore: Stewart gear! Inside the Numbers Top active winning percentages * No. Driver Wins Starts Pct. 1. J. Gordon 72 418 .172 2. J. Johnson 16 128 .125 3. T. Stewart 21 229 .091 4. R. Newman 11 133 .082 5. R. Wallace 55 687 .080 * -- Minimum 100 Cup starts

Donnie continued: Stewart doesn't fit the mold of the Young Gun; he actually has opinions and doesn't mind making them known.

"He's the one that's gonna tell the truth," Donnie said. "These other guys are gonna say what's politically correct, make their millions and get out in their 30s.

"Tony's a racecar driver, like Sterling Marlin, Rusty Wallace, Mark Martin and Ricky Rudd."

Another thing, he added, is that Stewart can drive a car that is loose or tight, and keep it in one piece until a pit stop allows the crew to make it tighter or looser.

Fast forward to Saturday night. Vacation is getting down to the final days (or, daze) but merriment is at hand as Marine Joe and family have moved back to Powder Springs (ooh-rah) and we're toasting.

And there's Stewart, again, dominating. To the tune of leading a race-record 151 of 160 laps in the Pepsi 400. In case you're counting, Stewart has led 287 of the last 470 laps -- 61 percent -- or 649.1 miles (about the distance from Columbus, Ind., to Darlington, S.C., site of his first Cup top-10).

Maybe we -- the heathen -- have dismissed Stewart as a hothead, one who cannot control his emotion off the track. And if he can't do it there, how can he possibly remain cool under fire while on the track?

Maybe we -- the misanthrope -- are too wrapped up in getting the splashy, headline-grabbing piece when, fact is, Stewart can drive despite the off-track distractions, of which we -- the impious -- are a large part.

Maybe we -- the skeptics -- haven't spent enough time writing about the Tony Stewart Foundation. Who's to say supporting chronically ill children and individuals injured in motorsports activities are less worthy of Victory Junction Gang Camp, Make-A-Wish Foundation or Ronald McDonald's Children's Charities? There is no difference; Smoke supports all of them.

About 1:45 a.m. Sunday, Stewart put the exclamation point on what everyone already knew. Daytona was his second consecutive victory and now the spotlight is on the No. 20 team. Up next: Chicago, where he is the defending race winner. Then it's on to Loudon, where Stewart was fifth last year.

Suddenly, that 136-point deficit doesn't seem so large. Even we -- the unconsecrated -- can see that.

Unofficial Results Pepsi 400 at Daytona Pos. Driver Make 1. T. Stewart Chevrolet 2. J. McMurray Dodge 3. D. Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet 4. R. Wallace Ford 5. D. Jarrett Ford • Complete results, click here • Unofficial standings, click here Victory LaneTony Stewart celebrates his Pepsi 400 win at Daytona Multi-car wreckThe Big One strikes on Lap 35 at Daytona Pepsi 400Get all the highlights from under the lights at Daytona Sign up for TrackPass now BUY YOUR NEXTEL DRIVER PHONE COKE TRACK ACCESS Interactive race highlights and instant win game

Flags

• Red -- Let's end the chatter about a "fan vote" for the Chase. The idea has been floating around for several weeks and, frankly, it's idiotic. Soap operas and the WWE have scripts; in racing, success is earned on the track. How many fans would abandon ship over the perceived "Junior Vote"? Says Brian France: "We have to be, and we will be, a performance-based series."

• Yellow -- Wow, Carl Edwards is riding the roller-coaster (ninth, fourth, fourth, ninth, 12th in points the past five weeks). Is there anyone who didn't see this coming? However, the series is returning to a 1.5-mile track at Chicago and he could bounce back ... again. In four races at 1.5-mile tracks this year, Edwards has finished 14th (Las Vegas), first (Atlanta), 19th (Texas) and third (Charlotte) -- an average of 7.4.

• Green -- Jamie McMurray is a career-best seventh in points after a runner-up finish at Daytona. Consistency has been a large part of his success this year. Consider: Last season, Mac had 23 top-10 finishes; through 17 races this year, he has only seven. However, he has only one finish of 30th or worse (32nd the season-opening Daytona 500); at this point last year, he already had five.

Quote, Unquote

"I'm too damn fat to be climbing fences. I had to do it once, though."
-- Tony Stewart, after scaling the flag stand a la Spider-Man to celebrate his victory Saturday night at Daytona

Around the Track

• Jimmie Johnson, who has led the point standings after 13 of 17 races this season, has ranked among the top-10 since Atlanta in March 2004, a series-best stretch of 50 consecutive races. He has not been lower than fifth since Oct. 16, 2004.

• Rusty Wallace, who was fourth at Daytona, has finished 11th or better in his past six races -- and five of those finishes were top-10s. He already has nine top-10 finishes this season; in 2004, he had 11. His four top-fives are one more than he posted last year.

• Dale Jarrett's second consecutive fifth-place finish marked his first back-to-back top-fives since Dover (fourth) and Talladega (third) last fall. The last time he strung together three consecutive top-fives: Pocono, Indianapolis and Watkins Glen in 2002.

Inside the Numbers Chase-eligible drivers at Chicago No. Driver Races Avg. 1. J. Johnson 3 3.0 2. G. Biffle 2 20.0 3. T. Stewart 4 9.8 4. E. Sadler 4 16.5 5. R. Wallace 4 20.2 6. R. Newman 3 13.3 7. J. McMurray 2 10.5 8. M. Martin 4 13.2 9. Ku. Busch 4 22.0 10. D. Jarrett 4 12.0 11. J. Mayfield 4 20.2 12. C. Edwards -- -- 13. J. Gordon 4 6.8

Up Next

Chicagoland Speedway

• Ken Schrader is expected to make his 650th career Cup start at Chicago, three behind J.D. McDuffie for 13th on the all-time list. Ricky Rudd is the active leader with 856 starts. Richard Petty holds the record with 1,184 starts (at 81 tracks).

• David Stremme will make his Cup debut at Chicagoland, with the United States Navy serving as primary sponsor on the No. 39 Dodge Charger. Navy also will serve as the primary sponsor for Stremme in the Cup race at Richmond on Sept. 10.

• Greg Biffle, who despite top-10 starting positions has finished 20th in both of his races at Chicago, has led more races (12) than any other driver this season -- but he has never led a lap at Chicagoland Speedway.

• Chicago Cubs legend and National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Ryne Sandberg will be Grand Marshal for Sunday's race. He and Wade Boggs will be inducted into the Hall in Cooperstown, N.Y., on July 31.

Mail Call

I've been on vacation since June 24 and I haven't culled my e-mail (yet), so this week's Mail Call is an interesting e-mail exchange I had with a reader before jetting:

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E-MAIL Got something to say to Duane?

From: Gonzalez, David A
Sent: Thursday, June 23, 2005 2:17 PM
To: Cross, Duane
Subject: Question?

Who raced his first NASCAR Winston Cup race at Daytona, and finished the race ahead of: Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip, Rusty Wallace, Michael Waltrip, Bill Elliott, Jimmy Spencer, Mark Martin, Buddy Baker, Ken Schrader, Harry Gant, Geoff Bodine?

Hint: He's still racin'.

From: Cross, Duane
Sent: Thursday, June 23, 2005 2:19 PM
To: Gonzalez, David A
Subject: RE: Question?

Bobby Hamilton -- 1991 Daytona 500 on Feb. 19. He started 20th, finished 10th driving the Tri-Star Motorsports' No. 68 Country Time Olds.

Richard Petty -- 19th; Darrell Waltrip -- 24th; Rusty Wallace -- 27th; Michael Waltrip -- 38th; Bill Elliott -- 28th; Jimmy Spencer -- 40th; Mark Martin -- 21st; Buddy Baker -- 37th; Ken Schrader -- 31st; Harry Gant -- 25th; Geoff Bodine -- 32nd

From: Gonzalez, David A
Sent: Thursday, June 23, 2005 2:21 PM
To: Cross, Duane
Subject: RE: Question?

He's not racin' in Cup anymore. WRONG

From: Cross, Duane
Sent: Thursday, June 23, 2005 2:24 PM
To: Gonzalez, David A
Subject: RE: Question?

You didn't specify a series (and Hamilton fits the bill). Is he still running full time? Was it his first career race -- or first race at Daytona?

Too much room for wiggle ...

From: Gonzalez, David A
Sent: Thursday, June 23, 2005 2:28 PM
To: Cross, Duane
Subject: RE: Question?

It was his first career race in NASCAR, he still runs full time, and it was the Feb. 500 race. Come on, Duane, don't pull a Marty on me!

From: Cross, Duane
Sent: Thursday, June 23, 2005 2:28 PM
To: Gonzalez, David A
Subject: RE: Question?

Robby Gordon is the guy -- finished 18th

From: Gonzalez, David A
Sent: Thursday, June 23, 2005 2:35 PM
To: Cross, Duane
Subject: RE: Question?

bingo

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Nice piece of trivia, Dave. But I'm sticking to my guns with Hamilton; 10th place trumps 18th place -- and the Truck Series is racin' (maybe the best series that NASCAR has to offer).

And it was Hamilton's "first NASCAR Winston Cup race at Daytona" (though it was his fifth career start). ... And just what is it when you "pull a Marty"? Does it hurt? Is it career-threatening?

Inside the Numbers Best average finish at Chicago * Driver Races T-10 Avg. J. Johnson 3 3 3.0 J. Gordon 4 3 6.8 K. Harvick 4 3 7.2 T. Stewart 4 3 9.8 J. McMurray 2 1 10.5 * -- Active full-time drivers only

Fantasy Perspective

• Joe Nemechek (10.25) has the best starting average of all drivers who have competed in all four races at Chicagoland. Jeff Gordon (6.75) has the best average finish of those who have competed in all four races at the 1.5-mile track.

• Two of the four races at Chicagoland have been won from 14th or worse, while the other two were won from a top-10 starting position. Kevin Harvick has won from the highest starting position (sixth in 2001) and the worst starting position (32nd in '02).

• Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart have three top-five finishes at Chicago, more than any other drivers. Stewart has led 275 laps at the track, 87 more than Kevin Harvick (188) and 121 more than Ryan Newman (154).

Fantasy Racing NASCAR.COM's Duane Cross takes part in a weekly fantasy racing segment on 790 The Ball in High Point, N.C. The season-to-date standings: Player Points Last Week ... Show host Marc Amazon 266 10 for Stewart, 5 for Johnson, 4 for Gordon, whiffed on Busch and Biffle NASCAR.COM's Duane Cross 260 10 for Stewart, 5 for Johnson, 4 for Gordon, blanked on Busch and Harvick Update anchor Bill Kimm 246 10 for Stewart, 5 for Johnson, 4 for Gordon, nada on Martin and Biffle 790 The Ball Listeners 233 10 for Stewart, 5 for Johnson, zippo for Waltrip, Busch and Harvick The opinions listed here are solely those of the writer.

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