Stewart Starting to Like Martinsville

The way Tony Stewart has been dominating at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Va., he’s bound to eventually learn to like the place.

Stewart, who said all week Martinsville is not his favorite track, kept the lead through the final set of pit stops and quickly ended runner-up Dale Earnhardt’s chances of making it a duel by pulling away over the final 11 laps Sunday for his second consecutive victory.

“We’re getting closer,” Stewart said of the track, where he started on the pole twice this season, each time setting a qualifying record. “I feel like I’ve made great gains here, and I feel like [crew chief Greg Zipadelli] and the guys have made great gains here as well.

“You can’t do it by yourself.”

Stewart, in a Pontiac, pulled away from Earnhardt to win the NAPA 500 by .672 seconds. It was his Winston Cup-leading fifth victory this year, the eighth of his career and the third time he’s won back-to-back races.

Earnhardt outlasted Jeff Burton for second and gained 36 points on championship leader Bobby Labonte with six races left on the schedule.

“It’s going to take a whole lot of gaining and a whole lot of him finishing back there,” Earnhardt said of Labonte, who now leads by 213 points. “I know we didn’t gain a whole lot on him today, but we gained.”

Ricky Rudd finished fourth, followed by Jeff Gordon and Dale Jarrett.