Tony Stewart Bumps His Way to Victory at Sonoma

What a wild finish to the season's first road course race.  Tony Stewart led the final 22 laps, but needed to pass Denny Hamlin on the final turn of the last lap to win his third career race at Sonoma International Raceway in California.  Stewart had built a more than half second lead on Hamlin entering the final lap, but Hamlin found a way past Stewart on the 7th turn only to have Stewart return the favor just before the finish line.

Stewart's victory ends an 84-race winless skid dating back to 2013.  It's his eighth career road course victory and it puts him in good position to claim a berth in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.  He currently stands 9 points out of the top 30 even after missing the first eight races.

Hamlin led a race-high 33 laps and was forced to settle for second place.  Afterwards he said Stewart's pass was fair and square.  They previously were teammates and the respect is mutal.

Joey Logano finished third with Carl Edwards and Martin Truex, Jr. completing the Top 5.

Clint Bowyer's day ended after only five laps after an electrical problem filled his car with smoke.  Bowyer finished last.

Next up on the schedule is the season's second stop at Daytona International Speedway.