As predicted, Tony Stewart wins All-Star race

Lowe's Motor Speedway Charlotte -- 05/16/2009

Author: Jeremy Dunn

Published: Monday May 18 2009 12:33pm

For the second time in 2009, my prediction came to fruition (also predicted Mark Martin to win at Phoenix). Stewart was my pick to win the 2009 Sprint Cup All-Star event, and he did in dramatic fashion. Stewart passed Matt Kenseth en route to his first All-Star triumph.

Ryan Newman appeared to be on his way to his second All-Star win; however, Jeff Gordon lost control and he got into the side of Kyle Busch. Busch pinched Newman into the wall, forcing his to cut a tire. It was an exciting three-car battle for the lead.

In the All-Star Open, Sam Hornish Jr and Jamie McMurray advanced, as my prediction of David Reutimann and Martin Truex Jr was off base. Also, I felt that Bill Elliott was a shoo-in to advance due to the fan vote, considering that he boasts like a hundred Most Popular Driver awards, and the Wood Brothers are one of the most respected teams in the garage. However, it was Joey Logano who won the fan vote. Logano was not even born when Elliott won the 1986 All-Star race.

Oh yeah, thank you NASCAR for bringing back the ten-lap shootout for the final segment.

1. Jeff Gordon: 9-2 Sprint Cup championship odds

Jeff Gordon could have broke his tie with the late Dale Earnhardt if he would have held on to win the All-Star event. Instead, he and Earnhardt remain the only drivers with there All-Star trophies. Gordon won the third segment; however, he wrecked while battling Kyle Busch and Ryan Newman for the lead with eight laps remaining. He ended up finishing in the nineteenth position.

2. Tony Stewart: 9-2 Sprint Cup championship odds

The Daytona 500, Coca Cola 600, and the Southern 500 are three trophies that are noticeably missing from Tony Stewart’s trophy mantle. This weekend, he was able to add the All-Star trophy to his broad collection. It is likely sitting next to his Brickyard 400 trophy. Stewart survived the Gordon/Busch/Newman tangle, and passed Busch and Kenseth en route to the victory. It was his first victory as part-owner Stewart-Haas Racing.

3. Kurt Busch: 6-1 Sprint Cup championship odds

Kurt Busch had a top five car for most of the All-Star race. Unfortunately, he never really contended for the lead. Like Stewart, he survived the final segment, and he was able to post a third place finish, his career best finish in the All-Star race.

4. Jimmie Johnson: 4-1 Sprint Cup championship odds

Jimmie Johnson dominated the first segment, but pit strategy hurt his track position. In the final segment, Johnson worked his way back into the top five before he was hit from behind by Denny Hamlin. Johnson avoided any severe damage to the Lowe’s Chevrolet, but he had to restart from the back of the pack after flat-spotting all four tires in the spin. Johnson ended up finishing in the thirteenth position.

5. Kyle Busch: 4-1 Sprint Cup championship odds

There is no surprise that Kyle Busch played a huge role in the exciting final ten-lap showdown. Busch was squeezed into Ryan Newman after Jeff Gordon lost control. Busch was the only one of the three drivers that was able to finish the race. Busch had a fast car, but he did not have a race winning car. He faded to the seventh position when the checkered flag waved.

6. Ryan Newman: 20-1 Sprint Cup championship odds

Remember when Ryan Newman was on the verge of superstardom, only to fade once Penske Racing fell behind the powerhouse teams? Well, it appears as if Newman is back and he may be better than he was from 2002 to 2005 when he won twelve of his thirteen career races. Newman nearly went two laps down when his splitter began to drag. After a multitude of adjustments, the No. 39 car was easily that best car in the last segment. Unfortunately, a cut tire relegated him to an eighteenth place finish.

7. Denny Hamlin: 15-1 Sprint Cup championship odds

Denny Hamlin inaudibly posted an impressive fourth place finish. His car seemed to improve as the night progress with each passing segment. Hamlin’s charge to the front should give this team confidence for next week’s 600-mile marathon.

8. Jeff Burton: 30-1 Sprint Cup championship odds

Jeff Burton had one of the slowest cars on Saturday. Other than Brad Keselowski and the Phoenix Racing entry, the Richard Childress Racing trio were the bottom feeders. This team has an abundance of work to do before next weekend. Burton retired after 85 laps due to an engine failure.

9. Greg Biffle: 15-1 Sprint Cup championship odds

One of the biggest surprises of the night was the fact that Greg Biffle struggled so badly. The No. 16 team is one of the best at the 1.5-mile tracks. Biffle was put out of his misery by Sam Hornish Jr on lap 71 in the third segment.

10. Mark Martin: 10-1 Sprint Cup championship odds

Mark Martin finished in the sixth position as he was unable to match Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt’s three All-Star wins. Martin is better suited for the Coca Cola 600.

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