Stewart ends victory slump

Tony Stewart won the NASCAR Nextel Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway on Sunday in Joliet, Ill., breaking a 20-race winless streak that dated to last season and turning around what had otherwise been a tumultuous week for the two-time series champion.

Between the bad breaks that cost him possible victories earlier in the year and last week’s high-profile feud with teammate Denny Hamlin, Stewart seemed more relieved than elated by the victory -- though he still managed to climb the front-stretch fence in celebration.

The Nextel Cup Series is off next weekend, and Stewart can’t wait.

“You have no idea how glad I am to have the week off,” Stewart said. “I’m taking this momentum on vacation.”

Hamlin and Stewart spent the week trading barbs in the media after the two teammates wrecked at Daytona International Speedway last week. The situation became ugly enough for team owner Joe Gibbs to take a last-minute detour from a planned vacation and come to the track on Saturday to gather Stewart and Hamlin for a hastily arranged meeting.

“The good part is, it was fairly short, because Joe can get long-winded sometimes,” Stewart said. “But it was a great meeting. That’s Joe Gibbs’ strength, he knows how to motivate people and he knows how to keep a team atmosphere.”

Stewart said he and Hamlin worked well on the track Sunday, using hand signals to communicate strategies during the race.

And, for the first time in a long time, Stewart finished the day in Victory Lane.

It didn’t hurt that Stewart’s strongest competitor, Jimmie Johnson, hit the wall with 45 laps remaining after his tire suddenly went flat.

Johnson walked away without any injuries beyond a sore elbow, but the crash left his car mangled and ruined his chance at a victory.

Matt Kenseth pulled side by side to challenge Stewart on the restart, but Stewart held him off until another caution flag came out for a crash by J.J. Yeley -- the third Gibbs driver -- 20 laps later.

Kenseth said that was his only real chance to get past Stewart, but he nearly lost control of his car while making the move and backed off to finish second.

Carl Edwards finished third, followed by Kevin Harvick and pole-sitter Casey Mears.

*

Scott Dixon passed Dario Franchitti and Dan Wheldon on Lap 95 and ran away with the Firestone Indy 200 at Gladeville, Tenn., for his second straight IndyCar victory. He also became the first driver to repeat at Nashville Superspeedway.

Dixon’s second victory this season and eighth of his career pulled him to within 34 points of Franchitti with six races left.

Franchitti was second, and Danica Patrick tied her career-best finish of third earlier this year at Texas. Sam Hornish Jr. was fourth, followed by Marco Andretti.

*

Allen Johnson beat Ron Krisher, who couldn’t get off the line, with a quarter-mile run of 7.132 seconds to win the pro stock race at the NHRA Mile High Nationals at Morrison, Colo.

Matt Smith took home the pro stock motorcycles title, outrunning Angelle Sampey with a 7.4-second pass.

Top-fuel points leader Rod Fuller upped his record to 2-3 in final rounds this year with his win against teammate Whit Bazemore.

Jack Beckman picked up his second career win in funny car.