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Tony Stewart posted his fifth win in seven series starts this season.

Stewart races to another Nationwide win in 20 car

By Sporting News Wire Service
June 30, 2008
11:43 AM EDT
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LOUDON, N.H. -- Aside from Tony Stewart becoming the 22nd different winner in 22 Nationwide Series races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the outcome of Saturday's Camping World RV Sales 200 was more of the same for NASCAR's Triple-A division.

Stewart's victory was the eighth of the season for the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, which has carried four different drivers to Victory Lane this year -- Stewart on five occasions and Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and rookie phenom Joey Logano once each.

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Official Results

Camp. World RV Sales 200
Pos. Driver Make
1. Tony Stewart Toyota
2. Denny Hamlin Toyota
3. Kyle Busch Toyota
4. Kevin Harvick Chevrolet
5. Carl Edwards Ford
6. David Ragan Ford
7. David Reutimann Toyota
8. Mike Bliss Chevrolet
9. Clint Bowyer Chevrolet
10. Brad Keselowski Chevrolet

Hamlin and Busch, in fact, chased Stewart for the final 64 laps, after Stewart took the lead for good on Lap 136. Hamlin, driving Braun Racing's No. 32 Toyota, was within a half-second of the leader when Greg Biffle crashed on Lap 200, the final circuit. The race ended under caution with Stewart, Hamlin and Busch in the top-three spots (watch video), followed by Kevin Harvick and Carl Edwards.

"It's pretty spectacular," Edwards said about the No. 20 car. "Those guys are doing a great job. There are ups and downs in this sport and, right now, they're on the up side and we've just got to look at what they're doing and emulate them and try to get them by the end of the season."

Stewart credited crew chief Dave Rogers, a native of the neighboring state of Vermont, with the consistently excellent performance of the No. 20 Camry.

"There've been four drivers [to] win in this car, so it's not the drivers -- that's for sure," Stewart said. "We're the fortunate ones to be able to drive this thing."

A two-tire call on Stewart's final pit stop on Lap 129 got the No. 20 Toyota out in third place for a restart on Lap 133. Three laps later, Stewart took the lead from Edwards, who had taken fuel only on the pit stop, with a smooth pass entering Turn 1.

"That last stop is what won the race for us," Stewart said. "To get track position and be able to stay up front and not have to overdrive the car or abuse the tires was the key to the win."

It was Rogers, who started with the Gibbs team as an engineer on Stewart's No. 20 Cup car, who made the two-tire call.

"I look up and they're all coming," Rogers said of the last pit stop for the leaders. "It was a parking lot and I knew if we got back in traffic, we would never make it to the front. This is a track-position race."

On Lap 138, Hamlin passed Edwards for second, and Busch followed into third position three laps after that, but neither could overtake the leader.

"We didn't know it would come down to a track-position race," said Busch, who took four tires on his final pit stop, restarted eighth and had to work his way through traffic. "We got out-strategized there at the end."

Notes: Todd Braun's No. 32 and No. 38 Toyotas were painted black, with no sponsor decals on either car (watch video). The cars were a symbol of mourning for the team owner's mother, Linda Braun, who died Wednesday (read more). ... The race marked the first 1-2-3 Nationwide Series finish for Toyota. ... Stewart led 75 laps and Busch 63, as the Gibbs cars dominated. ... Series points leader Clint Bowyer finished ninth. ... Pole-sitter Landon Cassill had to start from the rear of the field because of an engine change. He gained 28 positions before a tap from Bobby Hamilton Jr. sent his No. 5 Chevy into the wall and out of the race on Lap 47 (watch video). He finished 34th.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The End

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Nationwide Series

Official Standings
Pos. +/- Driver Points Behind
1. -- Clint Bowyer 2649 --
2. +1 David Reutimann 2467 -182
3. +1 Carl Edwards 2461 -188
4. -2 Brad Keselowski 2452 -197
5. -- David Ragan 2351 -298
6. -- Mike Bliss 2334 -315
7. -- Kyle Busch 2263 -386
8. -- Mike Wallace 2171 -478
9. -- David Stremme 2089 -560
10. +1 Jason Keller 2048 -601
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