Polesitter Tony Stewart led 74 laps early, pushing his career TMS total to 801 and past Matt Kenseth (775) on the track’s all-time Sprint Cup list dating to April 1997. Both drivers made their 24th career starts at the track in Monday’s rain-delayed Duck Commander 500; Kenseth failed to lead a lap.
The laps-led were the first that Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Mobil 1 / Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet SS, has paced in 2014. The three-time Sprint Cup champion said after qualifying on the pole Saturday that he is returning to form after his 2013 season was cut short due to a broken right leg suffered in a sprint car crash in August at Southern Iowa Speedway. “Smoke” finished 10th in Texas, his third top 10 in seven starts this season.
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