Stewart outlasts Kenseth at Daytona

By Jenna Fryer

Associated Press / July 8, 2012

Text size – +

E-mail

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Tony Stewart charged past Daytona 500 winner Matt Kenseth on the final lap Saturday night, then held on to win the Coke Zero 400 as his challengers stacked up in a melee at Daytona International Speedway.

Kenseth and Roush Fenway Racing teammate Greg Biffle likely would have made one final attempt to beat Stewart, but Biffle wiggled and cars began sliding all over the track.

Nobody could then catch Stewart, who sailed away to his third win of the season. The defending Sprint Cup Series champion is tied with Brad Keselowski for most wins this season.

Roughly 90 minutes before the race, NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations Steve O'Donnell announced AJ Allmendinger had been suspended for failing a random drug test. Sam Hornish Jr. replaced him in the car.

Hornish finished 33d in the race.

The Allmendinger situation forced Penske Racing officials to scramble to get Hornish to the track in time for the race.

Allmendinger’s “A” sample taken last weekend at Kentucky Speedway came back positive. The driver has 72 hours to request his ‘‘B” sample be tested.

Allmendinger had been scheduled to start eighth.