Tony Stewart won a wild, Saturday night race at Daytona.  Here’s a look at four other NASCAR Headlines from the race, besides the guy who took the checkered flag…

daytona-international-speedway

Tony Stewart left Daytona International Speedway as a winner

1.      THE BIG ONE – TIMES TWO

Yeah, you knew it was coming.  It usually does at the two restrictor-plate tracks: Daytona and Talladega.  On Saturday night, there were two huge wrecks, both within the final ten laps.  Half the field was involved in the accidents that have become a staple of this style of racing.

2.      A.J. OUT, SAM IN

If not for the big wrecks, this would’ve been the biggest headline of the weekend.  Just before the race, NASCAR suspended A.J. Allmendinger for failing a drug test.  Sam Hornish Jr. took his place in the No. 22 car, and finished 33rd.

3.      JEFF BURTON

The driver of the No. 31 had his best finish of the year, coming in second.  Yes, he had to dodge the wrecks to accomplish that, but that’s part of being successful at Daytona.  It was just his second Top 5 finish of 2012, the other one coming in the season-opening Daytona 500.

4.      RYAN NEWMAN

While Stewart won the race, his teammate at Stewart-Haas racing also performed well, posting a 5th place finish.  It was his first Top 10 finish since winning at Martinsville on April 1st.  The next race is in New Hampshire.  Newman won that race last year starting from the pole.

More NASCAR Headlines coming soon at The Wife Hates Sports!