READING, Pa. — Tony Stewart was in victory lane again Saturday afternoon at Maple Grove Raceway.
Stewart earned his third win in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. His two previous wins came at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Las Vegas and the North Central Division Race in Indianapolis, Indiana.
With the Northeast Division Race win at Maple Grove Raceway, Stewart takes the lead in the Top Alcohol Dragster championship standings.
In addition to a national championship, Stewart is also vying for a regional championship in the North Central Region. He’s leading the North Central Region.
“The weekend was a polar opposite compared to what happened last race in Columbus (Ohio). The whole team made a conscious decision to try and be on the other side of it,” Stewart said. “Even though we made it to the Finals, we felt like we were a little too aggressive in Columbus and it bit us. We came into Reading with a plan to make sure we made a solid lap the first round of qualifying and we could press from there. We kept it in a good, safe zone.
“My teammate, Matt Cummings, had the fastest car. He was just a little quicker than us all weekend. I was able to have really good reaction times both days and that was a big key to getting us here,” he continued. “You hate to win a race at the end against your teammate due to a mechanical failure, but unfortunately it happens. Being able to win the race and take over the national points lead is something we’re extremely proud and happy about.”
