The Coke Zero 400 ended with a bit of controversy when Kyle Busch, at the last second of the race was about to pass the finish line, Tony Stewart comes from behind and bumps him causing him to lose the race. A forth of July fan favorite, this race is always exciting and we never know what to expect. Busch was leading multiple times throughout the race when Stewart tried to pass him again and again. Tony Stewart went on to win the race as Busch’s car crashed into the wall. Busch stated that if the 2nd place racer “dumps,” the 1st place car, he should be black-flagged and the winner should be the 3rd place racer. Many drivers came to Stewart’s defense saying, “What happened Saturday night was just a consequence of restrictor plate racing and 2 competitors driving hard.” Busch left the race without a word to anyone, obviously frustrated. After the race, Busch didn’t express his anger, but he did express his point when talking about the end of the race. Stewart later apologized, saying he was sorry for winning a race like that and he didn’t intentionally crash Busch. When asked if he could do the race over again, would he do anything differently? Busch stated, “No I would not do anything differently, I tried everything I could to win the race. I didn’t.”

Both Stewart and Busch talked at Daytona and on the phone to try to subside this issue. Busch said very sarcastically to reporters “When I am in 2nd place, I win 2nd place. When I am leading I get wrecked.” With this win Stewart remained the leader in points in the Sprint Cup Standing. “A phone conversation between the two of us after the race was very pleasing. I was happy,” Stewart exclaimed. In Busch’s case, he went from a few seconds from a win to winding up in 14th place. Jimmie Johnson came in second, with Denny Hamlin and Carl Edwards placing in 4th and 5th. Denny Hamlin led 63 laps during this race, while Tony Stewart led 86.

Dale Earnhardt continued his bad performances and finishing 39th dropping him to 21st in the point standings. Earnhardt’s night was ended when a 13-car crash happened. Stewart won his 35th career victory; his pit crew played a big role in his success. Stewart’s pit crew got him out of the pit the fastest 7 times during the race. Stewart, the point’s leader, expanded his lead over Jeff Gordon 180 points. The hard racing showed by all players in the race was exciting for the fans at home and the people in the stands.

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