Tony Stewart wins crash-marred Coke Zero 400 at Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH -- Tony Stewart stayed clear of the carnage in tonight's Coke Zero 400 to take the checkered flag for his third NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory of the season.

"I don't even remember what happened in the last lap," Stewart said, when asked about the multitude of wrecks including one on the final lap. "Anytime you win at Daytona it's special."

Photo credit: Credit Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR / Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet, leads Jeff Burton, driver of the No. 31 as Greg Biffle, driver of the No. 16, Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the No. 88, and Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 29 spin out in the last lap of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway.

Fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr., who got caught up in the biggest pile-up, to finish 15th, said of the wreckfest, "I was getting shoved. It was pretty wild. We were all running into each other."

Photo credit: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images for NASCAR / Tony Stewart celebrates after winning Saturday night's Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway under the lights.

Stewart's win in tonight's 54th annual Coke Zero 400, was his 47th victory in 482 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.

With the victory, Stewart moves into sole possession of 14th on the all-time list. He had previously been tied with NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Buck Baker.

This was his third victory and ninth top-10 finish so far in the 2012 season. Stewart and Brad Keselowski are now tied for the series lead in wins.

FAST FACTS

This Coke Zero victory was Tony Stewart's fourth victory and 13th top-10 finish in 28 races at Daytona International Speedway. All his NSCS points wins came in the Coke Zero 400. It is his 18th victory all-time at Daytona International Speedway, second-most all-time to Dale Earnhardt. Jeff Burton (second) posted his 11th top-10 finish in 38 races at Daytona. It is his best finish in 2012. Matt Kenseth (third) posted his 13th top-10 finish in 26 races at Daytona.

Here is a racing summary from NASCAR

DAYTONA BEACH -- Tony Stewart had an answer for the dominant pair of Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle. In winning Saturday night's Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway, Stewart side-drafted and separated Kenseth and Biffle, who had surged into the lead during a two-lap run to the finish, then pulled away for his fourth win in the last eight July races at the 2.5-mile super speedway.

As Stewart approached the checkered flag for his third win of the season and the 47th of his career, a massive wreck in Turn 4 skewed the finishing order behind him. Jeff Burton came home second and series leader Kenseth third (after leading a race-high 89 laps), with Joey Logano and Ryan Newman completing the top five.

Denny Hamlin, suffering from a sore back that kept him out of practice for the event, made an ill-fated move exiting the tri-oval on Lap 153 of 160, triggering a multi-car wreck that thinned the field for the final restart. All three Joe Gibbs Racing cars -- those of Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano -- were involved, as were the Michael Waltrip Racing entries of Clint Bowyer and Martin Truex Jr.

Kenseth led the field to the restart with Stewart to his outside and Biffle behind him.

A caution on Lap 124 for a seven-car wreck that destroyed the Chevrolet of Jimmie Johnson interrupted the dominance of Roush Fenway Racing teammates Kenseth and Biffle, who both had committed to pit road before the caution flag flew. Pit road closed with the yellow, however, and Kenseth continued without stopping. Biffle, on the other hand, drew a penalty for stopping while pit road was closed and was sent to the rear of the field for a restart on Lap 131.

One of the last drivers to head in after pit road opened, Kenseth also restarted deep in the field. But, before long, he and Biffle hooked up and began rolling to the front in the outside lane. When Brad Keselowski's spin in Turn 2 caused the fourth caution on Lap 144, Kenseth and Biffle were running seventh and eighth, respectively. The first caution didn't come until Lap 81 -- one lap past halfway -- when Sam Hornish Jr., driving the No. 22 Dodge in place of suspended AJ Allmendinger, blew a tire and wrecked on the backstretch.

Hornish was a last-minute substitute for Allmendinger, whose failed drug test from last weekend at Kentucky was announced Saturday afternoon, along with his suspension from NASCAR competition. The caution was a huge break for Stewart and Keselowski, who had fallen a half-lap down during the first cycle of green-flag pit stops.

Stewart made excellent use of the reprieve and soon worked his way to the front of the field. Keselowski's good fortune was short-lived. During pit stops under caution for Hornish's crash, Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman and Jeff Gordon went three-wide and tangled on the way to the exit from pit road.

Newman's Chevrolet turned across the nose of Kahne's Chevy, and slid into the back of Keselowski's Dodge, which was parked in its pit stall. Alert and nimble, Keselowski's crew and a NASCAR official scattered and escaped injury. And with full credit to the pit crews, all four cars effected repairs and remained on the lead lap.