Nice block lets Stewart score

Busch provides cover in Nationwide victory

Tony Stewart's victory in the Camping World 300 was a testament to solid teamwork by Joe Gibbs Racing. (Joe Raoux/Associated Press)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Teamwork helped propel Tony Stewart to Victory Lane in yesterday's Camping World 300, the Nationwide Series opener at Daytona International Speedway. A victory in today's Daytona 500 and the shaggy-haired Stewart will have to own up to a wager he made with the media.

"I'll let you guys each take a shot at the scissors tomorrow if we can win this thing," said Stewart, after winning from the pole position. "Each of you can cut a lock for yourself. That's my gift."

Driving the No. 20 Toyota fielded by Joe Gibbs Racing, Stewart got timely draft support from teammate Kyle Busch, who finished runner-up, in the last few laps of this 120-lap race.

"I just couldn't handle as good as [Busch] could," said Stewart, who led three times for 46 laps and wrested the lead from Busch on Lap 117. "I think he had the best-handling car out there. He could go anywhere he wanted on the racetrack. I couldn't and that got us behind early in the race."

Though he was criticized by Martin Truex Jr. for blocking, Busch defended his actions, saying he was only trying to hold his track position.

"I was getting passed left and right all day long when I got out of line," said Busch, who finished runner-up to Todd Bodine in Friday night's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series opener at Daytona. "I was just trying to stay in line. He got a run on me, tried to pull low; I blocked him low. And then he tried to pull high; I blocked him high.

"That's what you have to do if you want to finish up front in these restrictor-plate races instead of laying over and letting those guys go by you."

Busch, though, had a more pivotal block on Dale Earnhardt Jr., who finished third.

"Junior made a move there to pass Tony for the lead, I think, on that restart with about nine to go, or pass me, or something like that, and Stewart came and helped me," Busch said. "[Earnhardt] got hung out and went all the way back to 12th place. What are you going to do? You're going to sit up there and try to do what you can in order to get yourself propelled to the best possible finish you possibly can."

Stewart was grateful for the assistance.

"He was a great teammate, especially late in the race," he said. "Having a teammate like him was awesome today."

A perfect fit

Earnhardt didn't need yesterday's results to know that Toyota and Gibbs Racing posed a real threat for the 500.

"I knew it was real when we first came down here to test," he said. "The Toyota has been fast. Those guys got the knowledge to get cars around the track, know how to get to Victory Lane. They're going to be tough, I think, all year.

"They build great racecars. They're a good company. I had the privilege of being able to get a good look at it one time. It's a pretty impressive place. I think they'll always be a challenge."

When Gibbs Racing left Chevrolet for Toyota, "everybody talked about how much JGR has brought the level of Toyota up," Stewart said. "It's not been us. It's been what they did before we came along. We were able to help with little things here and there, but they laid a very nice foundation and base for us to all work from."

Speedy warm-up

Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Office Depot Ford fielded by Roush Fenway Racing, posted the fastest lap in the final "Happy Hour" practice for the 500, reaching 191.034 miles per hour. John Andretti was second fastest in his No. 34 Makoto Chevrolet (190.937), and Kyle Petty was third in his No. 45 Wells Fargo Dodge (190.634). "The car is pretty good," Edwards reported. "The speeds don't really mean too much because it's just about luck and where you end up in the pack, but the way the car is handling is really good. We could actually get out there and lead a little bit." . . . As is usually the case in most restrictor-plate races, drivers will be placing a premium on handling, but it will be even more so with the new car package. "I think handling is going to be everything," Stewart said. "I think you can have a car that's down a little bit on power. As long as you can keep that momentum up through the corner, you're going to carry it through the straightaway. If you have to start checking it up in the corner, losing that momentum, you have to rely on the horsepower to get you going back. Carrying that momentum and handling is going to be the most critical issue." . . . Country artist Trisha Yearwood will sing the national anthem for the 500. Seven-time 500 winner Richard Petty will serve as the honorary starter and unfurl the green flag. The rest of the 24 living champions will be grand marshals.