Stewart beats 'Intimidator' to Bud Shootout win

The made-for-TV spectacle was the first time NASCAR's new superspeedway aerodynamic package had been let loose at Daytona and compared to some of the tedious affairs seen in recent races on the 2.5-mile Florida tri-oval, it proved a qualified success.

"Did you see a better race out there than we've had in the past couple o'seasons," said Earnhardt, who is often an outspoken critic of restricting superspeedway speeds. "I think you did, so that's your answer. The only thing is, if we're running side-by-side as much as we are, everybody's got to be a little patient and not do stupid stuff."

The lesson was obviously heeded: twenty lead changes among seven drivers, and not a single caution period wasn't bad for just 70 laps of racing, but unless your car could run a high and a low groove, you were destined to make up the numbers - unless you were Earnhardt Sr...

Earnhardt's Richard Childress Chevy Monte Carlo was potent in the high groove, next to useless in the low groove, but the Intimidator was at his aggressive best and somehow stayed in the hunt all afternoon - bar those final two laps, when tyre wear became a factor.

In contrast, Stewart and his Joe Gibbs Racing team mate, defending champion Bobby Labonte, could run whatever line they wanted with equal effectiveness and when the former Indy Racing League ace snatched back the lead from Earnhardt with just two laps to go, it was all over bar the shouting.

"It's intimidating when you see him sat there," said Stewart, "but you can't quit doing your job just cos Earnhardt's behind you. He's got a whole bunch of tricks, but I just had to pay attention. I got a really good run on him, but felt maybe I should have waited another lap, but it worked out cool."

"I'm a bit dejected because I didn't win," grinned Earnhardt. "His car was real strong and I figure I took the lead a little too soon, with three laps to go. But with this sort of racing, you take your chance when you get it. He came by too strong and I'd gambled and pitted early for my new tyres, so I couldn't give it back to him."

The rules for this year's Bud Shootout made everybody pit and change tyres under green flag conditions. For Earnhardt and early front-runner Jeff Gordon, that meant stopping after just 25 laps, but for Stewart, Labonte and the impressive Dale Earnhardt Jr, the starting rubber stayed on until the 45th lap. In the end, with a complete lack of cautions, the late call was the better one.

Third, seemingly from nowhere, was the Penske Racing Ford Taurus of Rusty Wallace, with Dale Jarrett, Jeff Burton and 'Little E' completing the top six. Wallace had floundered in the opening laps, thanks to oil on his screen, but came back strongly after his early stop.

"I couldn't make out cars, I could just see blurred colours in the early laps," said Wallace, "but after the stop, the car was real strong in the high groove."

Daytona 500 pole-sitter Bill Elliott gave the new Dodge Intrepid its first taste of drafting and despite finishing only 12th - thanks mainly to a total lack of any other Dodge drafting partners - he gave it a thumbs-up.

"I learned quite a bit there," he said. "This car's only a 'guesstimate' and our real '500' car is a heap better, but from what I've already seen, we should be in good shape."

(Gap shown is to winner)
1 Tony Stewart, Pontiac Grand Prix, 57m59.975s, 181.036mph
2 Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet Monte Carlo, +0.145s
3 Rusty Wallace, Ford Taurus, +0.275s
4 Dale Jarrett, Ford Taurus, +0.385s
5 Jeff Burton, Ford Taurus, +0.456s
6 Dale Earnhardt Jr, Chevrolet Monte Carlo, +0.548s
7 Bobby Labonte, Pontiac Grand Prix, +0.590s
8 Mark Martin, Ford Taurus, +0.705s
9 Ricky Rudd, Ford Taurus, +0.762s
10 Mike Skinner, Chevrolet Monte Carlo, +0.874s

Fastest lap: Jarrett, 47.844s, 188.111mph