Date: Aug. 4, 2013
Event: GoBowling.com 400 (Round 21 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Location: Pocono (Pa.) Raceway (2.5-mile triangle)
Winner: Kasey Kahne of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
SHR Finish:
Ryan Newman (Started 4th, Finished 4th / Running, completed 160 of 160 laps)
Tony Stewart (Started 20th, Finished 9th / Running, completed 160 of 160 laps)
Danica Patrick (Started 34th, Finished 35th / Accident, completed 110 of 160 laps)
SHR Points:
Tony Stewart (11th with 594 points, 178 out of first; 5 behind 10th)
Ryan Newman (15th with 575 points, 197 out of first; 24 behind 10th)
Danica Patrick (27th with 373 points, 399 out of first; 226 behind 10th)
Ryan Newman led the way for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) Sunday at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway by finishing fourth in the GoBowling.com 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.
Newman, driver of the No. 39 Haas Automation 30th Anniversary Chevrolet SS, scored his ninth top-five in 24 career Sprint Cup starts at the 2.5-mile triangle. It was also his fourth top-five this season.
Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 GoDaddy Chevrolet SS for SHR, finished ninth. It was his 22nd top-10 in 30 career Sprint Cup starts at Pocono and his eighth top-10 of the season.
Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet SS for SHR, finished 35th in her 31st career Sprint Cup start and her second at Pocono. Patrick was running among the top-20 until becoming involved in an accident on lap 111. She was unhurt, but her car was too damaged to continue the race.
Kasey Kahne won the GoBowling.com 400 to score his 16th career Sprint Cup victory, his second of the season and his second at Pocono.
Jeff Gordon finished 1.392 seconds behind Kahne in the runner-up spot, while Kurt Busch, Newman and Dale Earnhardt Jr. rounded out the top-five. Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, Stewart and Greg Biffle comprised the remainder of the top-10.
There were nine caution periods for 35 laps, with 10 drivers failing to finish the 160-lap race.
With round 21 of 36 complete, Stewart continues to lead the SHR contingent in the championship point standings. He remained 11th and has 594 points, 178 back of series leader Jimmie Johnson and five points behind 10th-place Biffle. Newman gained one spot to rise to 15th. He has 575 points, 197 out of first and 24 behind Biffle. Patrick dropped one spot to 27th and has 373 points, 399 behind Johnson and 226 away from Biffle.
Five races remain before the 12-driver, 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup begins Sept. 15 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill. Only the top-10 in points are locked into the Chase. Positions 11 and 12 in the Chase are wild cards, awarded to the two drivers between 11th and 20th in points with the most wins. In the event of multiple drivers having the same number of wins, a driver’s point standing serves as the tiebreaker.
Stewart, Martin Truex Jr. and Newman are the only drivers between 11th and 20th in points with a victory. Since Stewart and Truex sit 11th and 14th, respectively, in the standings, they hold the first and second wild-card spots.
Patrick, who is competing for Rookie of the Year honors against Ricky Stenhouse Jr., finished one spot behind Stenhouse, who placed 34th.
The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule is the 355k at The Glen on Sunday, Aug. 11 at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International. The race starts at 1 p.m. EDT, with live coverage provided by ESPN beginning with its pre-race show at noon.
Click here to see a video recap of yesterday’s race.
