As career winds down, Stewart eliminated from Chase – Nascar

RELATED: Race results | Chase Grid

DOVER, Del. — The final margin was of little consequence. Tony Stewart would either be in or out after 400 miles at Dover International Speedway.

In, and he would be one those advancing to the Round of 12, the second elimination round in this year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Out and he would have no chance to end his NASCAR Sprint Cup career as a four-time series champion.

Stewart was out.

Exiting his car, he was flanked by media as he made his way down pit road, through the garage, up the stairs and out of sight.

“I’m pretty excited about our day,” Stewart said. “We were much better than we were yesterday. Really proud of our team.

“We kept making (the car) better all day. That is good as we had.”

His 13th-place finish in Sunday’s Citizen Soldier 400 was fitting; the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet wasn’t a top-10 car. It was a top-15 and that was that. He didn’t challenge for the lead, but he didn’t have any problems staying ahead of a good portion of the field either.

It was the other fast few for which Stewart and his team had no answer. Martin Truex Jr. (Furniture Row Racing No. 78 Toyota) won handily, and Chase drivers took the top nine spots.

Not that some of those in the 16-driver Chase field didn’t have their problems — both Chip Ganassi Racing entries with drivers Jamie McMurray and Kyle Larson were among the four not advancing as well as Stewart and Chris Buescher (Front Row Motorsports).

Stewart was a long shot to get in, outside the top 12 in points before the race went green and outside when the checkered flew.

Austin Dillon (Richard Childress Racing) didn’t falter and stayed well enough ahead of Stewart to secure the final transfer spot.

RELATED: Stewart comments on Austin’s speed

“That’s all we had guys,” Stewart radioed his team after crossing the finish line.

“Much better than yesterday,” crew chief Mike Bugarewicz replied, referencing a limited practice session on the 1-mile concrete oval.

Stewart is the winner of 49 premier series races and it’s not unthinkable that he could return to Victory Lane at some point with seven races remaining.

He has the talent and the team to do that. But it wouldn’t be as a championship contender. For Stewart, that’s one Chase that’s ended.