HAMPTON, Ga., Sept. 6 (UPI) -- Tony Stewart held off Carl Edwards Sunday to win the Emory Healthcare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
The victory was Stewart's 38th in Sprint Cup Series competition but the first in 32 races dating to October 2009 in Kansas
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Stewart led 176 of 325 laps, taking the lead for good when he slipped past Edwards after a restart with 25 laps to go. Edwards finished 1.3 seconds behind.
Jimmie Johnson took third place, followed by Jeff Burton and Kyle Busch.
The victory cemented a spot for Stewart in the 12-driver field for the championship Chase, which begins in two weeks in New Hampshire.
Denny Hamlin also qualified for the Chase despite finishing 43rd after experiencing engine failure midway through the race.
