Stewart smokes the field after controversial call by NASCAR at Dover

DOVER, DE - JUNE 02: Tony Stewart, driver of the #14 Code 3 Associates/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway on June 2, 2013 in Dover, Delaware. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
DOVER, DE - JUNE 02:  Tony Stewart, driver of the #14 Code 3 Associates/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway on June 2, 2013 in Dover, Delaware.  (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
DOVER, DE – JUNE 02: Tony Stewart, driver of the #14 Code 3 Associates/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway on June 2, 2013 in Dover, Delaware. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Tony Stewart’s forgettable year took a turn for the better in large part to a controversial call by NASCAR Sunday at Dover International Speedway.  Stewart took the lead in the FedEx 400 by muscling past Juan Pablo Montoya with two laps to go and held on to win his first race since Daytona last July.

The win was set up with a call by NASCAR that came after the seventh and final caution with 23 to go. Jimmie Johnson who had been dominating the race up to that point, started on the inside of Montoya who had snatched the lead on the final round of pit stops.  On the restart Montoya appeared to spin his tires and Johnson shot to the lead. By the time the field reached the backstretch, NASCAR ruled that Johnson had jumped the start and hit him with a pass through penalty. The team argued the penalty but to no avail and with 14 laps to go, NASCAR began to black flag Johnson and he dove into the pits giving the lead to Montoya.

Montoya did his best to hold of Stewart but Stewart reeled him in and made the pass on the outside with two to go and went on to score his 48th career win. MORE>>>

Greg Engle
About Greg Engle 7421 Articles
Greg is a published award winning sportswriter who spent 23 years combined active and active reserve military service, much of that in and around the Special Operations community. Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.