Praise for Denny Hamlin
Tony Stewart finished second to Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the Bud Shootout at Daytona International Speedway. It was Stewart's first race in the team's new Toyotas and it looked like the change in engines didn't affect his racing.
It also was a prelude to what could be a familiar finish in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races this year. Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing cars ran strong in the Shootout.
Stewart said he was particularly encouraged with the way Denny Hamlin, his teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing, rallied through the field in the Shootout.
"I think the part that impressed me the most there at the end was Denny being able to climb back up there -- it’s like I heard the cavalry coming," Stewart said. "It was just that we didn’t synchronize our watches and get there at the same time. As beat up as his car was, I was really proud of how he got back up there. So far, it looks like it’s the usual list of suspects that are up near the front of these things again.”