Nationwide Series – Drive4COPD 300 Recap

Tony Stewart wins Nationwide Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway!

Danica Patrick was involved in a multiple car accident and ended her day 35th.

photo credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR

“I’m happy with our day,” Stewart said during the post-race interview. “That’s probably one of the most dominant cars I’ve ever had at Daytona.”

It’s Stewart’s fifth series win at Daytona. It also makes it win number 15 for Stewart in a stock car at the high-banked 2.5 mile track, tying him with Cale Yarborough for third on the all-time win list in track history. Dale Earnhardt and Bobby Allison are the only two drivers that have more wins there than Stewart.

“Today you never really get a chance to really get as true a read on your car as what you do in the race,” Stewart said. “We were really, really loose at the beginning of it. Just kind of took our time, methodically got up in the top 10. Then with the pit stops and everything, got a chance to work on it. That’s where Butch does a great job. Kept sneaking up on it. You’re a little better being a little free here, but it’s a lot of work on the driver. But, you know, the good thing is we really hit on it right there at the end, and I felt confident that I could go wherever I needed to go on the racetrack and had the confidence it was going to stay with me.”

Stewart drove the #4 Ritz Crackers Chevrolet for Kevin Harvick Inc. Team owner Kevin Harvick also had a dominate car himself and finished third.

“I think the competitor in you wants to win,” Harvick said. “There’s a little bit of responsibility that comes with that from the ownership side of it. But in the end, as a driver, you want to win. But when you have something to fall back on, your other car is in Victory Lane, that’s all we can ask for at a Speedway race because you can’t control the circumstances, such as things happened to the 33 today.”

Stewart led a race-high 38 of the 120 laps while Harvick led 37.

In her official NASCAR debut, Danica Patrick was involved in a “Big One” on lap 69 that ended her day 35th.

“It’s important to have realistic expectations,” Patrick said soon after climbing out of her wrecked ride. “There’s going to be spikes in performance, I don’t doubt that. But there’s also going to be tough days. And today, I would say, was more of a tough day.”

Her team owner and fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. also was involved in a “Big One” which sent him airborne.

“I had a lot of fun out there, but it was an expensive day,” Earnhardt said. “I’ll have to go back and balance the books out there. It was an expensive day for JR Motorsports.”

Danica Patrick is scheduled to race in 12 more races in the series this season including the next two events at Auto Club Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

“We’ll go to these other tracks where she’ll literally be driving the car, it’ll be handling good or bad,” Earnhardt said. “Then people can start forming their opinions on what kind of learning curve she has. But I feel pretty confident. She’s been in a tough situation with the media and the pressure and the attention, I couldn’t have done it.”

There were 7 cautions for 32 laps and 16 lead changes among 12 drivers: K. Busch 1-5; K. Harvick 6-42; K. Busch 43-46; T. Raines 47-49; J. Nemechek 50-52; G. Biffle 53-61; Brad Keselowski 62-64; T. Stewart 65-74; M. Wallace 75; E. McClure 76; C. Edwards 77-78; K. Busch 79; C. Edwards 80-82; D. Earnhardt Jr. 83-89; T. Stewart 90-92; S. Wallace 93-95; T. Stewart 96-120

For the (unofficial) race results, click here.

Tony Stewart leads the point standings by 20 points over 2nd place driver, Carl Edwards.