Stewart has 19 victories at Daytona: Is this the year he wins the big one?
Three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion said Sunday that a hard crash he suffered in Saturday night's Sprint Unlimited did not aggravate his injured right leg.
And Stewart further said he's not worried about having to start next Sunday's Daytona 500 at the back of the field because of an engine change made Saturday. Nor is he worried about having to go the full 500 miles.
"Nothing, didn't have any problems at all," Stewart said after Daytona 500 qualifying Sunday afternoon, when he was queried about being tagged hard in a nine-car crash on Lap 36 of the non-points race at Daytona International Speedway.
Carl Edwards, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, and Kurt Busch have an incident during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sprint Unlimited.
"The great thing about being down here is you've got warm weather and a hot shower that loosens everything up in the morning, so it's nice that we're not in cold weather," Stewart said. "Last night was pretty chilly so it tightened up a little bit last evening, but this morning I actually felt better than when I went to bed."
As for starting the 500 in back, Stewart professed not to be concerned.
"I always like my chances here," said Stewart, who is seeking his first Daytona 500 victory. "You can't win 19 races here and not win the big one at some point."
Stewart's victory total at Daytona includes wins in the July Sprint Cup race, the Duel 150 qualifiers, the Sprint Unlimited, the NASCAR Nationwide Series and other events. Only the late Dale Earnhardt has won more races at Daytona than Stewart has.
"I don't have any reservations about where I start," said Stewart. "It just really doesn't bother me one way or the other."
