Tony Stewart to race at Daytona for Hendrick Motorsports

CONCORD, N.C. (Jan. 19, 2009) - Two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart will attempt to qualify a No. 80 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet prepared by Hendrick Motorsports for the Feb. 14 Nationwide Series race at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. Stewart, the defending winner of the Camping World 300, has won the season-opening event three times -- twice with owner Kevin Harvick (2005 and 2006) and once with Joe Gibbs (2008). Should he qualify, the race will mark Stewart's first-ever start for car owner Rick Hendrick. The effort will be led by 2003 Nationwide Series champion crew chief Lance McGrew. "After winning the season-opening Nationwide Series race at Daytona three times, we're going to try and get another one, this time for Rick," said Stewart, who has seven career Nationwide Series victories. "Hopefully we can go back-to-back for a second time and put the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet in Victory Lane. Rick and I have been friends for years, so it would mean a lot to me to get a win for him." As a car owner, Hendrick has 13 total NASCAR victories at Daytona, including three in the Nationwide Series. He has won the prestigious Daytona 500 six times. "Tony is one of the best drivers in the world," Hendrick said. "We know how terrific he is at Daytona, so I told the guys to build him a fast car and let him do what he does best. He's a great friend, and it's going to be fun to see him drive for Hendrick Motorsports for the first time." The best and quickest way to purchase a car online, HendrickCars.com features more than $90 million in used-car inventory and the largest selection of manufacturer-certified vehicles in the nation. Customers can browse more than 5,000 cars of all makes and models from the 80 Hendrick Automotive Group franchises nationwide. Each comes with a free CARFAX vehicle history report. "We chose the No. 80 to represent all of our stores," said Hendrick, also the chairman of Charlotte-based Hendrick Automotive Group. "This is something our folks can get excited about and rally around, and it's a great way to promote HendrickCars.com. It's become a premier destination for online car buying, and we're committed to making it a world-class experience for our customers." For more information, visit www.HendrickCars.com.