Tony Stewart is perfect so far in this year’s Chase for the Sprint Cup championship after a dramatic win in Sunday’s Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
In a reversal of last year’s finish in the Chase race at New Hampshire, Stewart took the lead with two laps remaining when Clint Bowyer ran out of fuel. Stewart led just the last two laps to make it back-to-back wins in the first two playoff races this season. The two-time Sprint Cup Series champion kicked off the Chase by winning last Monday’s rain-delayed 400-mile event at Chicagoland.
Stewart held the lead in the 2010 fall race at this 1.058-mile track but ran out of gas with a couple of laps to go, handing Bowyer the win. Stewart crossed the finish line in 24th. MiamiHerald.com
That made Stewart 2-for-2 in the 10-race Chase after he won his first race of the season last Monday at Chicagoland Speedway.
“These guys have never quit,” Stewart said of his Stewart-Haas Racing team. “We’ve got a shot at this thing.”
Brad Keselowski was second and Greg Biffle third.
“It’s just a huge day,” said Darian Grubb, Stewart’s crew chief. “We feel very honored and very lucky to have two weeks go our way.”
The victory lifted Stewart from second in the standings to first, seven points ahead of Kevin Harvick, who was 12th on Sunday. Stewart wasn’t ready to start planning a championship party, though. Chicago Tribune
“I know exactly how [Bowyer] feels right now,” Stewart said. “I saw him slow down down the back, and I thought, ‘Oh, no, you’re kidding me.’ That’s not the way you want to win, but we’re in the Chase now, and we’ve got to get everything we can get.”
Bowyer failed to complete the final two laps and finished 26th.
Jeff Gordon finishes fourth followed by Brian Vickers. Matt Kenseth, David Ragan, Carl Edwards, Juan Montoya and Regan Smith completed the top 10. NASCAR.com
“It’s funny, because 10 races ago, we left Loudon here 23rd in points,” Keselowski said. “Who’d have ever thought we’d be third in 10 weeks? It’s been a good road to travel down the last few weeks, and today was no exception.
“We weren’t the fastest car – I’d be lying if I tried to tell you we were – but we made good adjustments to our car, got it to where it was a good, solid top-10 car and drove up to fourth or fifth there with 100 to go, 80 to go, whatever that was. ... All in all, I felt like we earned the majority of our good fortune.” Nashua Telegraph
Biffle, the last driver to win the first two races of the Chase in 2008, believes the victories will further motivate Stewart’s team.
“It’s certainly a helluva momentum builder to win the first two races of the Chase,” Biffle said. “We were able to do it a few years back. It just means so much to your team, gives you so much confidence going into all the races, the next races.
“It was great for us. I’m sure it’s good for that team. They’ll continue to probably put down some good races.” FoxSports
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NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire - Race Results
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