Deja vu? Tony Stewart crashed during practice at Pocono Raceway.

No, this isn’t the same post from the last stop at Pocono eight weeks ago. Tony spun hard into the wall in turn 3 on the very first lap of their first practice session today.

(Photo credit: Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

He’ll have to start in the back in a back-up car for tomorrow’s race -- just like he had to do back in June. Can he pull off another win?

“It’s about like where we were last time,” Stewart said. “I just screwed up. I got in too deep and got loose and couldn’t save it.”

“You don’t have to be on the pole to win here—we started from dead last in the last race,” Stewart said on Friday after qualifying was rained out giving him the number 1 starting spot. “It’s obviously a lot easier if you can start up front and don’t have to pass 42 cars to get there but it’s not a deal breaker if you have to start 43rd. We proved that the last time.”

The team went right to work preparing the back-up car and was able to get Stewart back out on the track in about 30 minutes. Stewart was able to run 11 laps in the back-up to close out the first practice session and post the 21st fastest speed. He was 26th fastest during Happy Hour.

“We know we can [win],” Stewart said. “But I tore up a really good race car.”

There were no other incidents.

Four drivers hurried out after Happy Hour to fly to Iowa for the inaugural Nationwide Series race there. Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards and Tony Raines will pull double-duty this weekend.

For a recap on Tony Stewart’s weekend at Pocono from June, click here.

NSCS Practice 2  Pocono Raceway  Provided by NASCAR Statistics -- Sat, August 01, 2009 @ 11:00 AM Eastern  Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500

1.  48  Jimmie Johnson  Lowe’s Chevrolet  53.798  at 167.292
2.  33  Clint Bowyer  The Hartford Chevrolet  54.108 at 166.334
3. 99  Carl Edwards  Aflac Ford  54.246 at 165.911
4.  24  Jeff Gordon  DuPont Chevrolet  54.247  at 165.908
5.  29  Kevin Harvick  Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet  54.279  at 165.810

NSCS Final Practice  Pocono Raceway  Provided by NASCAR Statistics -- Sat, August 01, 2009 @ 12:24 PM Eastern Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500

1.  48  Jimmie Johnson  Lowe’s Chevrolet  54.284  at 165.795
2.  29  Kevin Harvick  Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet  54.408  at 165.417
3.  5  Mark Martin  Cheez-It/CARQUEST Chevrolet  54.483 at 165.189
4.  44  A J Allmendinger  Valvoline Dodge  54.568 at 164.932
5.  88  Dale Earnhardt Jr.  AMP ENERGY / National Guard Chevrolet  54.581  at 164.893