There’s a saying in racing that the first win is the hardest to get. But once that first win comes the floodgates seem to open and others quickly follow.
Tony Stewart can only hope that old adage is true. 
Stewart’s popular victory in last weekend’s All-Star showdown proved to the world that the owner-driver is not only competitive but comes each and every week to win.
He’s been close to that first checkered flag nearly every race this season, but last Saturday night he was finally able to seal the deal. And while there may not have been any championship points on the line, $1 million can more then make up for it.
For Stewart however the win wasn’t about the money so much as it was about validating his move from Gibbs Racing to becoming part owner of Stewart-Haas Racing and giving the team he has assembled the satisfaction of knowing they can indeed taste victory.
"To get those guys in victory lane and to get these guys on the team that haven't been to victory lane yet -- to get them there for the first time,” Stewart said. “That means more than a million dollars does to me. It's that gratifying to get this group of guys in victory lane.”
Now Stewart will head into Sunday night’s Coca-Cola 600 hoping the floodgates have indeed opened and the team can add another win. Because it’s back to big picture racing. After all Stewart is currently second in the standings and is in championship form.
Stewart has five top five and eight top ten finishes through 11 races this season and is well on track to become the first owner-driver to win a championship since Alan Kulwecki did it in 1992.
He’s also hoping for his first points paying win, a feat that hasn’t been accomplished by an owner-driver since Ricky Rudd in 1998.
In order to score that first points paying win Saturday night though, Stewart and the team know they’ll have to deal with differences from the All Star Race to Sunday night despite the fact they are at the same track.
“We go from the shortest race of the year to the longest race of the year,” Stewart said. “The main difference, besides the distance, is that the Coke 600 starts in the daytime and ends at night, whereas the All-Star Race started at night. We go from a sprint race to an endurance race.”
With the first win out of the way, Stewart is looking for many more. But the motivation to win again for Stewart isn’t about the money, or necessarily even the points, it’s about replicating the scene from last Saturday night.
“It's about seeing those guys and seeing them celebrating and smiling in Victory Lane,” said Stewart. “When I got there and seeing how happy they were and the excitement on their faces. There's no check that you can write in any amount that's going to make up for that and could take the place of it.”
Fast Facts
The Race: Coca-Cola 600
The Date: Sunday, May 24
The Track: Lowe’s Motor Speedway (1.5-mile quad-oval)
The Time: 5:45 p.m. ET
The Distance: 400 laps/600 miles
TV: FOX. 5:00 p.m. ET
Radio: PRN and Sirius Satellite
(WSOC-FM 103.7 local)
2008 Polesitter: Kyle Busch
2008 Winner: Kasey Kahne
Schedule: Thursday, Practice, 3-
4:30. Qualifying, 7:10. Saturday, 2:45-3:30 and 6-6:50 p.m.
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