Phoenix Offers No Solace for Stewart

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In: NASCAR Cup Series News

Tony Stewart’s subpar start to the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season continued Sunday in the CampingWorld.com 500k at Phoenix International Raceway.

After driving his No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS into the top-10 from his 17th-place starting spot, two separate accidents conspired to leave Stewart 39th when the checkered flag dropped.

It all came undone on lap 237 when Stewart was in 13th place after a round of pit stops jumbled the running order. Making his way back toward the top-10, Stewart was racing Justin Allgaier in turns three and four when the two made contact.

Stewart’s Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 machine spun around and impacted the SAFER Barrier along the outside retaining wall in turn four. The right-rear corner of the car hit first, which snapped the front end around, sending the right-front corner hard against the wall.

The damage was significant, and despite yeoman work by crew chief Chad Johnston and the team to make repairs during a handful of pit stops that were intended to keep Stewart on the lead lap, it was all for naught. The handling of the Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevy was drastically off, but Stewart was intent on bringing the car home to the finish and salvaging as many points as possible.

Unable to maintain the pace of the leaders, Stewart eventually went five laps down. Wrestling the car with all his might, physics finally trumped Stewart’s resolve. Coming off turn four of the 1-mile oval with only 23 laps remaining, the Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevy shot up the track and scraped along the frontstretch wall, finally coming to rest a few yards short of the start/finish line.

The car was too damaged to continue and it had to be towed to the garage. Stewart’s new ride was an ambulance for his mandatory checkup in the infield care center. He was promptly evaluated and released, left to ponder what might’ve been.

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