The Final Lap with Kerry Murphey

The Swagger Chronicles
Watch Stewart’s Old Spice/Office Depot Chevrolet Get Swaggerized for its Return Trip to Pocono

LONG POND, Pa. (July 31, 2009) – As the most recent NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winner at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway and the series’ championship leader by a hefty 192-point margin, Tony Stewart carries plenty of swagger in his return trip to Pocono for Sunday’s Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500.

But in case anyone forgot about Stewart’s victory in the series’ June visit to Pocono, where he led twice for 39 laps – including the final 37 – to take his first point-paying win as a driver/owner, along with being the first driver/owner to lead the point standings since Alan Kulwicki in 1992, Stewart brings an emphatic reminder that his swagger is well-earned.

His typically fire engine red Chevy Impala is now candy apple red for this weekend’s race at the 2.5-mile triangle as it carries an Old Spice Swagger paint scheme highlighting the brand’s scented line of men’s anti-perspirant/deodorant, body wash and body spray.

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The Final Lap – Pocono Preview – Fri, 31 Jul 2009
Kenseth gets Crown Royal, Mustang comes to NASCAR NNS, Labonte is a Mac user, a Pocono preview and more. Hosted by Kerry Murphey

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The Pocono Cup Race has been postponed until Monday at Noon Eastern

NOTE: Tony Stewart crashed in practice, pulled out the backup car, so he’ll actually start from the back of the pack.

1 14 Tony Stewart
2 48 Jimmie Johnson
3 24 Jeff Gordon
4 2 Kurt Busch
5 99 Carl Edwards
6 11 Denny Hamlin
7 39 Ryan Newman
8 9 Kasey Kahne
9 5 Mark Martin
10 42 Juan Pablo Montoya
11 16 Greg Biffle
12 17 Matt Kenseth
13 00 David Reutimann
14 18 Kyle Busch
15 83 Brian Vickers
16 33 Clint Bowyer
17 31 Jeff Burton
18 47 Marcos Ambrose
19 20 Joey Logano #
20 26 Jamie McMurray
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Most Popular Driver Voting Exceeds 1 Million Mark; Social Media Providing Boost To Balloting

More than one million votes have been cast for the 2009 NASCAR National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) x Most Popular Driver Award. Fans now have just seven more weeks to help vote their preferred drivers into the field of 10 finalists.

The 10 drivers currently pulling in the most votes: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Michael Waltrip, Bobby Labonte, Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson. The five drivers just outside the top 10 are Kyle Busch, Elliott Sadler, Marcos Ambrose, Robby Gordon and Mark Martin.

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Owners have swept Pocono Raceway’s Victory Lane in single seasons, and so have drivers. But no owner/driver has produced a single season sweep at Pocono Raceway.

Tony Stewart, winner of June’s Pocono 500, is halfway to that unlikely goal.

Drivers who have swept both Pocono victories in a single season include Bobby Allison (1982, DiGard), Bill Elliott (1985, Melling). Tim Richmond (1986, Hendrick), Bobby Labonte (1999, Gibbs), Jimmie Johnson (2004, Hendrick) and Denny Hamlin (2006, Gibbs).

Other owners have swept Pocono with different drivers. They include Jack Roush (2005, Carl Edwards & Kurt Busch) and Roger Penske (2000, Jeremy Mayfield & Rusty Wallace).

One owner/driver, Darrell Waltrip, posted wins in consecutive seasons at Pocono over the 1991 and 1992 seasons. Over those same two seasons, owner/driver Alan Kulwicki recorded the same feat at Bristol Motor Speedway’s half-mile.

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