Tony Stewart took his third checkered flag of the Nextel Cup season yesterday at Watkins Glen, recovering from an early spinout to finish 2.46 seconds ahead of teammate Denny Hamlin. Stewart, who battled Jeff Gordon for the lead all afternoon, took the top spot on the penultimate lap, when Gordon lost control of his No. 24 Chevy and dropped eight slots.
The victory is Stewart's fourth at the road course, lifting him to 487 points back of Gordon in the overall Cup chase. Meanwhile, Dale Earnhardt Jr. continued his race-day woes with an engine blowout in the final laps. The disappointing finish all but shatters No. 8's bid for a 2007 Cup championship. (More Tony Stewart stories.)