Tony Stewart's primary car was covered and put back in the hauler on Friday at Richmond. Credit: Autostock

No worries for Stewart after crashing primary

Defending champ goes to backup to try and secure Chase spot

RICHMOND, Va. -- Tony Stewart leaned against the orange tool box in the garage at Richmond International Raceway, laughing and joking while members of his crew frantically scrambled to prepare his backup car.

Tony Stewart is 45 points ahead of 11th-place Kasey Kahne. Credit: Autostock

Chevy Rock & Roll 400 Practice Speeds Pos. Driver Speed Time 1. Ky. Busch 125.517 21.511 2. M. Kenseth 125.482 21.517 3. G. Biffle 125.470 21.519 4. M. Truex Jr. 125.470 21.519 5. C. Bowyer 125.459 21.521 6. C. Mears 125.441 21.524 7. Sorenson 125.401 21.531 8. J. Gordon 125.383 21.534 9. K. Harvick 125.313 21.546 10. B. Labonte 125.308 21.547 • Complete speeds, click here FedEx PreviewNBC/TNT's Marty Snider previews the action at Richmond Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

If the defending Nextel Cup champion was nervous about his position in the points standings after crashing his primary car during Friday's practice, he wasn't showing it.

Crew chief Greg Zipadelli was equally calm even though the team is only 45 points ahead of 11th-place Kasey Kahne heading into Saturday night's race that will set the 10-car playoff field.

"He's joking around," Stewart said. "I'm joking around. The guys are joking around. For a team that is technically in a stressful situation and had a pretty stressful event happen at the beginning of the weekend, we're all taking it in stride right now."

Stewart destroyed the rear end of his No. 20 Chevrolet when he got into gravel between Turns 1 and 2 early during the two-hour practice. His crew immediately unloaded the backup car that won earlier this year at Martinsville Speedway.

The sometimes volatile Stewart never lost his cool, and with good reason. The three previous times he's gone to a backup due to a crash over the past seven-plus seasons, he's finished first, fifth and eighth.

That on Saturday should be plenty to get him into the Chase.

"I'm not worried about it," said Stewart, who is eighth in points. "I'm not counting points. I'm worried about trying to win the race, because if I win the race I don't have to worry about the points.

"It's a pretty easy philosophy to figure out. It's what's led to about six or seven national championships. I'm not going to stray off of that now."

Stewart got a break because the crash occurred early enough that he had plenty of time to return to the track for practice before qualifying 40th for Saturday night.

"I'm happy with my car right now," said Stewart, who was 39th-fastest in practice. "I'm much happier now after that last run was completed. We've got something that is good in race trim. We didn't put a big number up, but we're going to be in good shape."

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Just being at Richmond puts Stewart in good shape. He has three wins -- 1999, 2001 and 2002 -- and 10 top-10s in 15 races at the three-quarter-mile track. He has finished no worse than seventh in the past three races.

"Tony is a world-class driver and he is incredible at this track," said Jeff Burton, who is 10th in points, only 30 ahead of Kahne. "Certainly that [wreck] set them back some, but in no form or fashion do I think that puts them in position not to be successful.

"That team will run and it will run well."

Kyle Busch, who is fifth in points, agreed.

"They're strong enough where they'll come back," he said. "He'll be in. The three that are going to have the chance coming out of [the Chase] is ninth, 10th and 11th."

Mark Martin is ninth, two points ahead of Burton and 13 behind of Stewart.

Whoever makes it, Burton hopes it's because of good racing and not bad luck.

"I hope that this thing comes down to the race, and I hope it comes down to everybody having the opportunity to do their job," Burton said. "The 20 car, it's funny, whenever you see a guy wreck in practice you just know they're going to run well in the race."