Sat Apr 26 19:16:21 2008

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Stewart wins Aaron's 312

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Talladega, AL (Sports Network) - Tony Stewart held off a charging Dale Earnhardt Jr. to win Saturday afternoon's Aaron's 312 Nationwide Series race at the Talladega Superspeedway. The No.20 Old Spice Toyota driver crossed the finish line 0.302 seconds ahead of David Stremme.

The victory was Stewart's third of the season and fifth of his Nationwide career.

Pole winner Stewart led the first six laps before the action really began. By lap seven, Brad Keselowski grabbed the lead from Stewart and he held it until lap 10 when there was a four-car accident involving series points leader Clint Bowyer and Dario Franchitti. Franchitti got the worst of it and was transported by stretcher to the infield car center and then to a local hospital.

After a lengthy cleanup and pit stops, Stewart returned to the front of the pack. He held it until lap 49 when Earnhardt Jr. made a move that pleased the crowd and got him the lead.

Earnhardt Jr. and Stewart stayed one-two as the threat of rain began to be more real. But it would hold off for all 117 laps.

Then a 14-car crash, on lap 71, took out defending series champion Carl Edwards and 13 others. The race was red-flagged to cleanup all the debris. Just 25 cars remained on the track. It was still Stewart and "Junior" when the race finally got underway.

Forty laps to go and still the two friends led the way. Thirty laps and Stewart had about one car length on Earnhardt Jr. Behind them were David Stremme, Mike Bliss and Jason Leffler.

On lap 89 another three-car incident slowed the field and made it likely that everyone could now make it to the checkered flag on fuel.

The race restarted with 26 laps remaining. Stewart, Earnhardt Jr. and Stremme broke away from the rest. But the field quickly brought them back in line and the front six were lined up nose to tail.

Another caution flag, for debris, set up a shorter run to the finish. Nine cars were in the lead pack. Stewart with Earnhardt Jr. were hooked up at the bottom of the track, but Greg Biffle and Mike Wallace were trying to get a group together using the high side.

Then a debris caution flag on lap 112 slowed the field one last time and it would be a two-lap shootout for the win. Stewart got the jump on Earnhardt Jr. who was laying back for a last-lap move. They saw the white flag and Stewart had four lengths. Then Junior and Biffle moved in quickly, jumped to the outside and got even with Stewart, maybe even stuck a nose in front.

But Stewart got the needed help from Stremme and had enough horsepower to fight off Earnhardt Jr. down the backstretch. Stewart made the turn for home and won for the first time at Talladega.

Bowyer will bring a 27-point lead over Edwards to the next race which is set for Friday night, May 2nd at Richmond International Raceway.