Tony Stewart is dragged out of his No. 20 Chevrolet while Ricky Rudd stands by with helmet on. Credit: Autostock

Hard day for Stewart, Rudd ends in top-25 run

Defending champ loses just one spot in series standings

DOVER, Del. -- Tony Stewart had to be dragged out of his No. 20 Chevrolet on Sunday.

But he wasn't kicking or screaming.

The defending Nextel Cup champion was more than ready to get out when the first caution finally came out on Lap 37 of the 400-lap race at Dover International Speedway.

Credit: Autostock

Official Results Neighborhood Excellence 400 Pos. Driver Make 1. M. Kenseth Ford 2. J. McMurray Ford 3. K. Harvick Chevrolet 4. J. Burton Chevrolet 5. Ky. Busch Chevrolet 6. J. Johnson Chevrolet 7. K. Kahne Dodge 8. G. Biffle Ford 9. M. Martin Ford 10. D. Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet • Complete results, click here • Driver standings, click here Victory LaneMatt Kenseth celebrates his second NNC win of the season Final lapsMcMurray, Kenseth and Harvick battle in the final laps Late-race woesTroubles for Sadler, Lepage and Robby Gordon Spin cyclePoints leader Jimmie Johnson has some trouble Stewart hands offTony Stewart hands off the No. 20 car to Ricky Rudd Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

"It's hard to explain to people how hard it is to get out of your own racecar,'' said Stewart, who got a 25-place finish after being replaced by Ricky Rudd to protect the broken right shoulder blade he suffered last weekend in Charlotte.

"When you own a car, you know you've got another driver. But this is my one time of the week that I cherish more than anything in life. Not a very fun way to spend the day.''

But it was necessary.

"I feel like I got beat up,'' said Stewart, who fell from fourth to fifth in points. "I wasn't very comfortable at all.''

Stewart had to wait 22 laps longer than any of the previous four Dover races for the first caution, which came out when Tony Raines spun out coming off Turn 4.

He'd moved to 25th after starting 42nd because he didn't qualify the car, and picked up more track position under caution when he stayed out to avoid a crowded pit road while others stopped.

"It was pretty good for the first 10 laps while everybody was getting things going,'' Stewart said of his shoulder. "Everybody picked up the speed once the track cleaned off. Then the soreness kept coming and coming. I was glad to get the caution when we got it.''

The driver exchange went smooth. Stewart unbuckled all of his straps during the first caution lap and was out within a matter of seconds of the car stopping.

Rudd was strapped in and ready to go within 60 seconds, giving him just enough time to get off pit road before the caution car passed and put him a lap down.

He restarted 37th and quickly moved to 30th despite getting only two fresh tires. Meanwhile, Stewart settled into his new seat atop the pit box.

"This isn't very fun,'' he said at the time.

It initially was fun for Rudd, 49, who is sitting out this season while contemplating whether he wants to extend his career with Toyota or one of several other teams that have contacted him.

He was 21st after 150 laps and was still there at the halfway point. That's when the fun ended.

Rudd was passed by leader Jeff Burton with 198 laps remaining and went another lap down with 192 laps to go while pitting under green.

He would have made a lap up when the leaders pitted, but was given a drive-through penalty for speeding as he exited pit road.

That left him 33rd and a bit frustrated.

"I wasn't speeding,'' Rudd insisted. "Somebody up there has something against me. ...We probably had a seventh-, eighth-, 10th-, 11th-place car at worse. That lap really killed us. We couldn't get it back.

"I feel like I let these guys down a little bit. Hopefully, Tony will be back next week.''

Rudd and Stewart were at ease before the race. Rudd made a quick stop to the media center, where he gently shook the handle of the bathroom door to see if it was occupied.

"Can I have a picture with you?'' a fan asked while he waited.

Rudd smiled and posed.

The next wait would be for the caution, which seemingly took forever.

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"It went really good,'' Rudd said of the switch. "The car was just too tight. I couldn't get it to turn. I hadn't driven a Chevrolet since 1990. I didn't know how free we needed to get it.

"The most fun I had was late in the race when Zippy [crew chief Greg Zipadelli] made some calls and dialed the chassis in a little bit better for me. We could hang along and run with those guys that were running in the top five.''

Rudd's next drive likely will come in the family RV for a planned vacation. Both Stewart and Zipadelli expect Stewart to be able to run every lap next week at Pocono.

But there is a part of Rudd that wants to drive again, if not this year then next.

"You want to come back and do a better job,'' he said. "From that standpoint it sort of gets to you. We'll see.''