The Lady in Black Tames the Field

Bobby Hamilton, Jr. in the Team Rensi Motorsport/Curly’s #25 Ford Fusion started last Friday’s race at Darlington Raceway 18th but finished a disappointing 30th after he blew an engine on the 102nd lap.

In a war of attrition, Tony Stewart beat Nationwide Series points leader Clint Bowyer to the finish line by .815 seconds to win the Diamond Hill Plywood 200. In a two-lap, green-white-checkered-flag dash to the finish, Stewart pulled away from Bowyer, who had inherited second position after a six-car wreck wiped out half the top 10 with three laps left in the regulation distance of 147 laps. Only 23 cars finished the wreck-filled race.

Following this past weekend’s race, the second open week of the Nationwide Series season actually starts with on-track activity as the majority of teams trek to their "home" track—Lowe's Motor Speedway—for the fourth scheduled test of the year. More than 40 drivers representing over 20 teams are expected to participate and gather notes for the six remaining intermediate tracks on the schedule. Seven races are left at those tracks, including the next event after the open week—the Carquest Auto Parts 300 at LMS on May 24.

Be sure to tune in to watch Bobby and the #25 Team Rensi Motorsport/Smithfield Ford Fusion in the Carquest Auto Parts 300 on ESPN2 at 7 p.m., Saturday, May 24. Check your local listings for the time in your area.