Go Tony!!!!!!!

INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana native Tony Stewart managed to stave off a late-race charge from Kasey Kahne and pulled away to win the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard on Sunday.

Stewart's victory combined with Jimmie Johnson's crash on Lap 145 gave Stewart the points lead with only five races remaining before the Chase for the Nextel Cup begins at New Hampshire. Stewart now leads Johnson by 75 points. Greg Biffle is third, followed by Rusty Wallace and Kurt Busch.

The long-sought Brickyard win was Stewart's fourth victory in the past six races. His average finish in the last seven races -- dating to a second-place finish at Michigan on June 19 -- is a 2.57.

The rest of the top five were Brian Vickers, Jeremy Mayfield and Matt Kenseth. The rest of the top 10: Casey Mears, Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, Sterling Marlin and Kyle Busch.

Stewart led a race-high 44 laps, while Kahne and pole-sitter Elliott Sadler both led 39.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Elliott Sadler's dream weekend turned into a nightmare with 10 laps to go in Sunday's Allstate 400.

Running sixth on the final restart, Sadler was all set to make his move back to the front. And why not? He had led 39 laps after winning the pole Saturday and looked to be biding his time until the closing stages of the race.

But just as Tony Stewart was passing Kasey Kahne for the win, Sadler was slowing down, concerned about a possible tire issue. And with the ensuing pit stop, Sadler went from sixth to 32nd.

"I don't know what to say," a distraught Sadler said. "I thought I had a tire going down. I don't know if it was or not. I guess not. I don't know.

"It's just not our year. It's not meant to be. The guys gave me a great car and it's just not meant to be."

Suddenly, Sadler has gone from what seemed to be a Chase for the Nextel Cup lock to 12th in the standings. He's 460 points behind new leader Tony Stewart, as four drivers are now in a heated battle for what could be the final two spots in the Chase.

Those four -- Dale Jarrett, Carl Edwards, Jamie McMurray and Sadler -- are now separated by just 30 points. Jarrett finished 14th on Sunday, which puts him ninth in the points. Edwards vaulted two spots to 10th, six points behind Jarrett, with his 12th-place finish. "We started 38th with a backup car that only had about three laps on it," Edwards said. "We ended up finishing 12th, which is unbelievable for what we had." Jamie McMurray remained in 11th place after winding up 17th Sunday. He's 12 points behind Edwards and 12 in front of Sadler.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Daytona International Speedway was formerly the traditional midpoint of the NASCAR Cup season, though in 2005 Saturday night's Pepsi 400 serves as the 17th of 36 races.

The event provides the flip side to the season-opening Daytona 500, which is held in mid-afternoon, as the Pepsi 400 is held in the evening to avoid the stifling mid-day heat and unavoidable afternoon thunderstorms.

Defending Pepsi 400 winner Jeff Gordon -- who also won the 2005 Daytona 500 -- is also the defending Bud Pole winner and is in the best position to expand the track's statistical legacy.

The following numbers refer to Daytona International Speedway and the Pepsi 400, unless otherwise noted.

1 -- Greg Biffle's number of top-10 finishes in five career starts: His victory in the 2003 Pepsi 400.

1 -- The fewest laps led by a race winner, Jimmy Spencer in 1994.

1 -- The number of drivers who have won three consecutive races: Cale Yarborough (1967-68).

1 -- The number of Pepsi 400s shortened by rain.

2 -- Jeff Gordon's consecutive race victories.

2 -- Kurt Busch's number of consecutive top-five finishes.

3 -- Tony Stewart's number of consecutive top-10 finishes.

4 -- Dale Jarrett and Sterling Marlin's leading number of pole positions by active drivers.

4 -- The number of times a season sweep has occurred: Fireball Roberts (1962), Cale Yarborough (1968), Lee Roy Yarbrough (1969) and Bobby Allison (1982).

5 -- The number of races since Sterling Marlin has led a lap, in the 2002 Pepsi 400.

5 -- The number of active drivers who won their last pole: Dale Jarrett (2005), Greg Biffle (2004), Jeff Green (2003), Sterling Marlin (2001) and Kyle Petty (1993).

6 -- Jeff Gordon's leading number of victories by an active driver.

6 -- The number of active drivers with no Daytona DNFs: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Casey Mears, Greg Biffle and Mike Bliss.

6 -- The number of different winners in consecutive races, since 1998: Dale Jarrett, Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Michael Waltrip, Greg Biffle and Jeff Gordon.

7 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s worst finish in his last four starts.

8 -- Jimmie Johnson's average finishing position, best among all drivers with more than one start.

8.363 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s average starting position, best among all active drivers.

9 -- The number of consecutive races in which there's been a different pole winner, since Dale Jarrett swept both poles in 2000.

11 -- Rusty Wallace's worst finish in his last five races.

12 -- The most caution periods, in 1989.

12 -- Wood Brothers Racing's leading number of victories by a car owner, excluding two qualifying race wins.

12 -- Sterling Marlin's leading number of top-five finishes by an active driver entered in the Pepsi 400.

14 -- The number of the 93 races won from the pole position.

15 -- Kyle Petty's leading number of DNFs by an active driver, in 47 starts.

17.3 -- Mark Martin's average finish in 40 starts, including zero victories.

18.4 -- Rusty Wallace's average finish in 44 starts, including zero victories.

21 -- Sterling Marlin's leading number of top-10 finishes by an active driver entered in the Pepsi 400.

23 -- Jeff Gordon's age when he became the youngest 400-mile winner.

23 -- The number of years since Bobby Allison swept both Daytona races, in 1982.

38 -- Bill Elliott's starting position for the 1988 Pepsi Firecracker 400, the farthest back a 400-mile race winner has started.

40 -- The most cars running at the finish, in 2003.

49 -- Bobby Allison's age when he became the oldest 400-mile winner.

57 -- Ricky Rudd's leading number of starts by an active driver.

71 -- The number of the 93 races won from starting positions inside the top 10.

142 -- The most laps led by a 400-mile race winner, by Cale Yarborough in 1968.

173.473 -- Bobby Allison's 400-mile race record average speed in miles per hour, set in 1980.

188.659 -- Jeff Gordon's Bud Pole Award winning speed, in miles per hour, set in 2004.

198.823 -- The restrictor plate Bud Pole Qualifying record lap, in miles per hour, set by Ken Schrader in 1988.

599 -- Bill Elliott's laps led.