In this 50th running of The Great American Race, an unlikely winner would be fitting.

That includes a Toyota.

Led by the three Gibbs entries, the Toyotas have been strong throughout Speedweeks. Denny Hamlin took the Japanese automaker to its first Victory Lane, winning the second qualifying race Thursday.

Pushed to the win by teammate Tony Stewart, they devised a strategy to work with Gibbs newcomer Kyle Busch to end Hendrick’s run. Stewart counseled Hamlin in the closing laps of their qualifying race on how to hold off Gordon, and it was a lesson they hope to use Sunday.

Stewart lost the Shootout to Earnhardt last week when Hamlin was not in position to help hold off the Hendrick charge. But group the entire Gibbs team together in the 500, and Stewart likes his odds.

“I feel we finally have a shot to beat that lineup of four guys that I had to go up against the other night,” Stewart said. “I feel we have three good cars in our camp, they’ve got four good cars on their side. That’s about as even as it gets.

“You give us 3-to-1 odds and it works in our favor just as easy as it does in theirs.”

Stewart, a two-time series champion who is searching for his first Daytona 500 win, has had his heart broken in nine previous tries to win NASCAR’s biggest race. He hates that winning it will depend on teamwork, but knows Busch and Hamlin are all on the same page.

“There’s safety in numbers — and that’s the sad, disappointing part,” Stewart said. “That’s what this race has come down to, not great individual performances, but sheer numbers of strength. I think it’s harder than ever to win because you’ve got to rely on everyone else.

“For an individual, you can’t count on anything. The only thing you can count on is that your teammates will work with you. The disappointing part is our biggest race of the year, you have to rely on someone else for your success.”

If that means a win, Stewart might be ready to make nice, just like his Hendrick rivals.

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