FORT WORTH, Texas, Nov. 5 (UPI) -- Tony Stewart took the checkered flag Sunday at the Dickies 500 Nextel Cup auto race at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas.
The victory was Stewart's fifth of the season and 29th of his Nextel Cup career. Stewart led 278 of the race's 339 laps.
After avoiding car trouble and wrecks, Stewart's No.20 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet crossed the finish line 0.272 seconds ahead of Jimmie Johnson.
Kevin Harvick finished in third place; Kyle Busch was fourth; and Clint Bowyer was fifth.
Pole-sitter Brian Vickers was 27th.
"I've been racing 27 years and I can count on two hands the cars that I've had like today," Stewart said.
Even though he didn't win the race, Johnson took over the points lead in the "Chase" for the Nextel Cup. He has a 17-point lead over Matt Kenseth.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (-78) is third; Denny Hamlin (-80) is fourth; and Harvick (-105) is fifth.
