Tony Stewart is the only driver to lead every race this season, but Phoenix was a tough mountain to climb. Credit: Autostock

Stewart blows off tire issue, then blows by field

Coming from 43rd starting spot 'more fun' for reigning champion

AVONDALE, Ariz. -- Tony Stewart could have lost his cool when told a member of his crew accidentally turned his qualifying tires into Goodyear, which in turn destroyed them.

Tony Stewart went from worst to first at Phoenix to lead six laps, but settled for second. Credit: Autostock

Subway Fresh 500 Unofficial Results Pos. Driver Make 1. Kevin Harvick Chevy 2. Tony Stewart Chevy 3. Matt Kenseth Ford 4. Carl Edwards Ford 5. Clint Bowyer Chevy 6. Kasey Kahne Dodge 7. Jimmie Johnson Chevy 8. Bobby Labonte Dodge 9. Jeff Burton Chevy 10. Jeff Gordon Chevy • Unofficial results, click here • Unofficial standings, click here Victory LaneKevin Harvick celebrates his win in the Subway Fresh 500 Final lapsHarvick passes Stewart and Biffle late to take the checkers Race reactionTony Stewart rebounds after starting 43rd Chain reactionJunior spins Petty, setting off a chain reaction on Lap 223 Multi-car wreckWaltrip and Sadler get the worst of a multi-car wreck Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

That meant the reigning Nextel Cup champion had to start from the back of the field because NASCAR mandates that a driver starting in the top 10 must begin with the tires he qualified on.

Stewart took it as a challenge.

"No worries," he told crew chief Greg Zipadelli before Saturday night's Subway Fresh 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. "It's more fun this way."

Indeed.

Stewart, who qualified third, quickly moved through the 43-car field. He was 33rd after Lap 11, 16th by Lap 54, 10th by Lap 77, second by Lap 211 and first by Lap 219.

He gave the lead up to Greg Biffle on a Lap 231 restart after a multi-car crash and never regained it, finishing second to Kevin Harvick.

"Before the race we were laughing and watching the hockey game on TV and all just giggling and laughing like nothing had happened," Stewart said. "So I'm just really proud of this team.

"It was a good night."

Stewart isn't sure it could have been better even if he'd started where he qualified. He said the problem at the end was a final adjustment that made the car too free.

"It just put us over the top a little too much," Stewart said. "Those last 30 laps I was sideways off of [Turn] 4 every lap whether I wanted to be or not. It was a good thing during the off weekend last week that I ran Late Models, so I'm used it."

Stewart, who remained fifth in the point standings, was in a good mood for a driver that hates to lose. Asked how he went from last to first, he jokingly said, "Well, you pass the guy in front of you, and then you pass the next guy in front of you."

Seriously.

"We just never got in a hurry," he said after recording his fifth top-five finish of the season. "We got in spots to where we weren't really catching people anymore, and couldn't get by people and we had to work too hard and punish the tires too much.

"We utilized the first 200 [laps] real wisely to get to the front."

Fuel mileage was a concern late. Zipadelli estimated the car would come up a half-lap short. Unfortunately for Stewart, he was too busy trying to first run down Biffle and then Harvick to conserve gas.

Fortunately, Zipadelli was wrong.

As for the tire problem before the race, Stewart said it was an honest mistake. He said the qualifying tires accidentally were returned to Goodyear, which drilled holes in them so teams couldn't use them again.

"Once they had done that, everybody figured out what the mistake was," Stewart said. "There was no way we could remedy the mistake and we had to go to the back."

He just didn't stay there long.