Stewart sent to hospital during Dodge Dealers 400

? For the first time in years, Sterling Marlin starts every race thinking he can win. Even from the last starting spot in the field.

Marlin extended his dominating start to the season Sunday, coming from the 43rd starting position to win the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400, taking over the lead after an 11-car accident that sent Tony Stewart to the hospital. CAT scans and X-rays showed nothing serious, but he was kept overnight for observation after complaining of pain in his lower back and stomach.

It was his second win of the year and 10th of Marlin’s career, but half of those have come since Chip Ganassi became his primary car owner before the 2001 season. Before that, Marlin had gone four years without a victory.

“The team I’m with right now is a lot more dominant team,” Marlin said. “Week in and week out, when we go to the tracks, we’ve got as good a chance as anybody to win the race.

“It’s a credit to all the guys who do all the hard work at the shop, and to Chip, too.”

Marlin, the series points leader, qualified 11th for the race but was forced to start in the back at Darlington Raceway after his team changed the engine in his Dodge Intrepid.

“We knew we had a problem and couldn’t take a chance with it,” crew chief Lee McCall said. “So we put our best motor in and started in the rear and watched Sterling drive that thing up through traffic all day long.”

Marlin cut through the field the entire race but didn’t move to the front until Stewart, the race leader, and Jeff Gordon, who had the most dominating car, were collected in the late-race accident.