Stewart restarted 30th and was able to use a quick caution with 30 laps to go to charge as high as 20th, moving into the free-pass position (19th) 10 circuits later but not being able to get the caution he needed to make up his lost lap until 10 to go — when debris on the track rescued his hopes and placed him in position to charge forward in the final laps.

However, Stewart caught a piece of a multi-car accident on the restart with seven to go and ultimately had to soldier home to 11th, fighting through two overtime attempts but not ultimately taking home the result he would have hoped for in his final Brickyard 400 attempt.

Instead, Stewart got a moment that was arguably more special, as he took a celebratory salute lap around the 2.5-mile facility following the checkered flag with fellow Indiana favorite and five-time Brickyard 400 champion, Jeff Gordon — who returned for this race as a substitute for Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was out with concussion-like symptoms for the second-straight race.

“I knew when we took the checkered (flag) that I didn’t want to quite come in just yet,” Stewart explained. “I wanted to run one more lap, and when Jeff was around us there (in the final stages), I told my spotter to tell his spotter: ‘After this thing’s over we need to go around here a lap together, because it’s most likely the last time we’ll ever get a chance to do that together.’ I couldn’t think of a better guy to share that moment with than Jeff.”

With Stewart’s final Brickyard 400 in the books, he leaves Indianapolis with an 80-point buffer over 31st in the points standings, and remains 11th on the provisional Chase Grid.

But before he gets set for Pocono, you can be sure he’ll take one more long moment tonight and think back on that parade lap after the race while he’s decompressing with his Hoosier family and friends.

And hell, he might even pull up the video and watch it one more time as well.

After all, it’s an Indiana thing.

About the Writer

Jacob Seelman is the Managing Editor of Race Chaser Online and creator of the Motorsports Madness radio show, airing at 7 p.m. Eastern every Monday on the Performance Motorsports Network.

Seelman grew up in the sport, watching his grandparents co-own the RaDiUs Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series team in the 1990s.

The 22-year-old is currently studying Broadcast Journalism at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., and is also serving as the full-time tour announcer for the Must See Racing Sprint Car Series.

Email Jacob at: [email protected]

Follow on Twitter: @Speed77Radio or @JacobSeelman77

Email Race Chaser Online: [email protected]

Follow RCO on Twitter: @RaceChaserNews